The Young Athletes Foundation Mission & Goal

Mission Statement: The mission of the Young Athletes Foundation is to assist in the promotion, development and growth of youth athletics.

Goal: The goal of the Young Athletes Foundation is to support youth athletic programs by providing opportunities to nonprofit organizations that are committed to promoting the safe participation in athletics with emphasis on programs that focus on underrepresented sports and/or individual athletic endeavors.

What is the Young Athletes Foundation?

The Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) was developed in 1990 to assist in the promotion and growth of youth athletics in Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis and Douglas (Wisconsin) Counties. Since its inception, the YAF has contributed over $280,000 through the following initiatives:

• The Running Shoe Program offers free running shoes to area high school cross-country and track athletes whose families are in financial need.
  
• The Ice Skate Program offers free ice skates to kids in the Duluth area whos families are in financial need.
  
• The Grant Program offers grants to area nonprofit youth athletic organizations for program developement and equipment needs
  
• Wednesday Night at the Races: A free summer race series that gives kids a chance to experience the thrill of running in a fun environment.
• UMD Cross-Country Scholarship: The YAF gives $1,000 annually to one female and one male UMD cross-country runner. Recipients must be sophomore, junior or senior from the YAF geographic boundaries