Not for the first time, the Carolina Panthers have stepped up to help high school athletics programs in North and South Carolina recover from losses due to hurricane damage.
In October of 2015, nineteen schools in North and South Carolina received aid through the Carolina Panthers Charities program to help recover equipment and facilities damaged in the flooding caused by Hurricane Joaquin.
Now, with Hurricane Matthew causing severe flooding up and down the east coast, many high school football programs are postponing games due to unplayable fields and damage to facilities and equipment. The Panthers again proffer a solution in the form of $250,000 worth of grant money available to schools that have sustained significant losses to equipment or infrastructure. Grant funds awarded to any one school are capped at $10,000.
The Panthers are offering the grants in the hope of repairing salvageable facilities and replacing equipment and supplies that are beyond repair. After the grants were announced on Wednesday, Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields told the Charlotte Observer, “The Carolina Panthers hope this grant funding will enable schools and the communities they serve to return to a sense of normalcy by helping meet the important basic needs of high school athletic programs.”
Carolina Panthers Charities supports nonprofit organizations all over North and South Carolina, as well as providing equipment grants to high school teams and awarding four scholarships annually to student athletes. Applications for equipment grants are available on their website and are due by November 11.
