2015 Cedric Walker grants awarded to 16 teams, clubs
The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation is pleased to announce its Cedric Walker Development Grant recipients for September, 2015. Grants have been awarded to 16 track clubs and high school track teams (see below) 
in honor of the late Mr. Walker, who passed in March, 2013, shortly after that year's New Balance Nationals Indoor. Cedric was a “irreplaceable” part of the NSAF. He served the sport for more than 20 years – as a board member; founder of the Flower City TC in New York; coach, mentor and team manager at many levels, from local to international; and beloved family member, among many others. See Joy Kamani’s memorial.
The grant recipients:
- Ann Arbor Youth Track, Ypsilanti, MI
- Beastmode T&F, Humble, TX
- Brentwood HS, Brentwood, NY
- Central Virginia T&F Club, Midlothian, VA
- Fast Twitch TC, Asheville, NC
- Intensity TC, Detroit, MI
- Island Trees HS T&F, Levittion, NY
- John C Kimball HS, Tracy, CA
- Lawrence HS, North Bellmore, NY
- Lewiston HS, Turner, ME
- Malcolm X Shabazz HS, Newark, NJ
- Memphis Mustangs TC, Memphis, TN
- The Nyack Racewalks, Nyack, NY
- Pottstown High School T&F/XC, Pottstown, PA
- Roman Catholic HS, Philadelphia, PA
- St. Johns Striders, Jacksonville, FL
The above list includes outstanding programs in 11 states, stretching from Maine to Florida to California. The Memphis Mustangs TC, for example, has been the club home of Harrison Williams and Carlton Orange, recent gold medalists in the Pan Am Junior Championships.
The grants are designed to help teams and clubs purchase equipment, improve facilities, meet the needs of their student-athletes, enable coaches education, defray expenses related to travel to the NSAF events, and much more. Average grants of $500-$600 (some larger, some smaller) are awarded and may be used for any reasonable purpose pertaining to the recipient’s track and field program. These are development grants.
As an additional dimension to the program, each team or club must also participate in a volunteer service program in their community and sign the USATF’s “Win with Integrity” pledge card.
We’ll look forward to hearing about and publishing stories, photos and videos of the activities of these clubs and teams, both in terms of their community service projects and the goals they are able to accomplish with these funds.
