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Dear Friends,
Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of the Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation.
The Fund is dedicated to promoting a healthy and productive lifestyle and providing support for gay,
lesbian, bi, and transgender athletes. With this newsletter, which will be published bi-annually, we
aim to keep our friends and supporters apprised of our activities. In this inaugural letter we introduce
our readers to the outstanding recipients of scholarships the Fund has awarded over the past three
years and share exciting news about a new sports program being funded by the Fund.
Sincerely,
Gene and John
The Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation
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Since 2006 The Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall Community
Foundation has been awarding scholarships to LGBT athletes pursuing
higher education. (See "Update" below.) Early in 2008 the Fund
decided to seek ways to expand our activities beyond our ongoing
Scholarship Program in an effort to reach more members of the LGBT
community.
To this end we asked a number of gay and lesbian centers around the
country for their best ideas for the creation of a sports-oriented
program that would benefit gay and lesbian youth. In response for
our 'call for proposals' we received plans from nine different
organizations. From these our Directors chose a proposal from The Q
Center of Portland, Oregon for a series of Youth Athletic Clinics.
The Q Center's proposal was selected based on the real need it
addresses, the goals of the program, and its likelihood of reaching
its targeted population.
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The US Department of Health has estimated that 30% of youth suicides
each year involve LGBT youth. These youths have a high incidence of
homelessness, feelings of isolation, family problems and school
difficulties. However, statistics show that participation in youth
sports programs fosters teamwork, boosts confidence and promotes
development of a healthy lifestyle. Active participation in sports
is especially important for LGTB youths as they face the challenges
of a homosexual lifestyle.
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(Above: Q Center soccer players on Opening Day)
The Q Center of Portland was already working with The Rose City
Softball Association, Oregon's largest gay sports organization and
the City of Portland's Department of Parks and Recreation.
Portland's proposal was to expand this program from only softball to
cover two additional sports - basketball and soccer. Their concept
is to establish a series of Youth Athletic Clinics (YAC) to be
conducted from July through early September 2008.
Each Athletic Clinic will accept up to a maximum of 20 youths per
sport for a total of 60 young people. Each clinic has two to four
coaches per sport for a total of 12 volunteer coaches for the entire
program. These coaches are currently active members of Portland's
LGBT athletic teams. They will volunteer their time to give YAC
participants weekly coaching sessions covering the fundamentals,
basic skills and rules of their chosen sport. The participants and
coaches will meet on a weekly basis throughout the summer. Using a
data-tracking system to measure results, the coaches will chart the
progress of the participants and assess the outcomes of each month's
clinics.
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An important aim of the clinics is to encourage team play that is
not hinged on social, economic, or sexual orientation. Thus, the
target participants are young people ages of 13 to 19 years who are
either LGBT or children of LGBT parents. Participants will be drawn
from a variety of socioeconomic groups.
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It is the vision of the Gene & John Athletic Fund that a successful YAC program, such as
that underway in Portland, will serve as a prototype for similar clinics to be established
across the country. Population centers that have active gay and lesbian sport associations
are a ready source of the necessary coaches and mentors. We're hoping that, as with Portland,
local Parks and Recreation Departments can be recruited to follow Portland's example in making
suitable sports venues available.
We look forward to making this vision a reality by showcasing the Portland program to
similar organizations around North America.
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Since our Scholarship Program began in 2006, we have awarded scholarships to four outstanding gay and
lesbian athletes. Our first grant was awarded to Sean Sperling, a marathon runner who has trained hundreds
of runners to participate in AIDS Marathon fundraisers. The grant was given to help Sean pay for his
tuition at the John Marshall School of Law, in Chicago.
Sean reports that since receiving the Scholarship: I have completed one and a half years of law school
(I'm halfway there!). It has been one of the greatest challenges of my life, but also one of the most
rewarding and growing periods. While enrolled full time at The John Marshall Law School, with the help
of The Gene and John Athletic Trust Scholarship, I have been able to keep up with running, and I have also
started biking and swimming. I find that staying active is the best thing I can do to get through the stress
and pressures of law school. I was able to complete the 2007 Chicago Marathon last October and this June I
will be riding my bike 550 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the AIDS Life Cycle, benefiting the
San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I have also started training for the 2008 Chicago Marathon through the AIDS
Marathon Training Program, benefiting the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
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In 2007 the program was expanded and three grants were given. Grant
recipients Melissa Gindin, Michael Totaro, and Richard (Rick) Flynn are profiled below.
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Melissa Gindin is an award-winning softball player who applied for financial help with her
tuition fees at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Melissa is the first member of
her family to attend college. She hopes to pursue career in politics after graduating.
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Another scholarship was given to Michael Totaro, who has distinguished himself as an elite runner
with New York Road Runners and New York Frontrunners. Michael is now attending New York Law School
while continuing his training as a distance runner. Michael's professional goal is to work on issues
concerning international business and corporate social responsibility. He is especially interested in
the environment and labor practices.
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The final 2007 grant was awarded to Rick Flynn, an all-round athlete whose ambition is to help others reach
their athletic potential. Late in 2007 Rick attended the National Outdoor Leadership school of Wyoming. The grant
provided financial assistance that enabled him to undertake a three-month leadership-training course while
backpacking in the wilderness of Chile's Patagonia Mountains. In his grant application Rick said: I would
like to open the minds of LGBT and straights alike so that gay and lesbian kids can run to their dreams.
My ultimate goal is to found a program in which all students can feel confident and accepted while
experiencing the most rigorous wilderness and athletic training.
Having recently returned from Chile, Rick reports that at the end of his South American semester
he and other course mates planned their own trek through the backcountry of Chile's Torres de Paine
National Park in remote southern Patagonia. Following this wilderness excursion Rick wrote:
For a long time I placed myself into a stereotype category that didn't fit me, and my confidence in
my physical abilities suffered greatly. After this experience, in which I was among the finest leaders
in my group, and wholeheartedly accepted as a homosexual and even looked up to, by some very conservative
course mates, I have broken the mold that I had previously allowed to be shaped over me. I am enthused and
inspired to move forward finding other gay athletes in hiding and bringing them into the light I have found.
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The Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall is proud to support Sean Sperling,
Melissa Gindin, Michael Totaro and Rick Flynn. All of these grant recipients are examples of outstanding gay
and lesbian youths who not only excel in their chosen sports, but also serve as role models for LGBT athletes
who may not have yet discovered their athletic potential.
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In continuing its scholarship program in 2008 and beyond, The Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall
will be offering scholarships of $2,500 and $5,000 to LGBT athletes for continuing their education while
pursuing athletics. To obtain an application contact:
Stonewall Community Foundation
119 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-367-1155 or
stonewall@stonewallfoundation.org
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Volume 1, Issue 1
