22 Local Organizations, Including 5 New Organizations, Receive Funding to Increase Access to Sports and Recreation

Solomon Fund Helps to Create an Inclusive Community

Park City Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2023 Solomon Fund Grantees. Over $200,000 in grants will go to 22 local organizations championing equity and diversity by giving Latinx youth the opportunity to participate in sports and recreation programs. These programs cater to various interests such as soccer, boxing, ice skating, Jiu Jitsu, and art, with scholarship funding available for families. This marks the 7th Solomon Fund grant cycle, which has now granted over $900,000 since its inception.

“The goal of the Solomon Fund is to create an inclusive, integrated, and complete community through recreation programs for Latinx youth. We do so by addressing barriers in communications, cost, and access to equipment, that would otherwise prevent kids from living active and healthy lives”, said José Chacón, Outreach and Impact Coordinator at Park City Community Foundation. “We want to cultivate a community that allows kids to feel included, have fun, and make new friends”.

Since its launch in 2016, Solomon Fund has facilitated access to sports and recreation through trusted partnerships with organizations such as RISE Boxing, Youth Sports Alliance, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, and Park City Soccer Club. This year, Solomon Fund has established five new partnerships with Girls on the Run Utah, Figure Skating Club of Park City, Park City Speed Skating Club, Park City Jiu Jitsu, and Game On! Sports for Girls – Northern Utah. These new partnerships allow for kids to find the program that best suites them.

Last year, Solomon Fund saw a 44% increase in Latinx participation across all partner organizations, from 1,384 registrations in 2021 to 1,955 in 2022. Improved awareness and outreach have allowed grantees to engage with Latinx families through registration events, bilingual websites, translations, Spanish social media marketing, and workshops. “Working with the Park City Community Foundation’s Solomon Fund allows us to learn best practices and to expand our understanding of DEI which in turn helps us more effectively run our programs,” said Jan Mitchell of Youth Sports Alliance.

See the 2022 Solomon Fund Impact Report »