Trail Blazers Foundation awards 15 ‘Take it to the Court for Education’ school grants, including Culver Elementary

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Trail Blazers Foundation has awarded 15 grants, totaling $100,000, to schools throughout Oregon through its ‘Take It To The Court for Education’ school grant program.

The grants will be distributed to schools in nine counties throughout Oregon, reaching from the southwest in Josephine County to the northeast in Union County. For more information, visit trailblazers.com/schoolgrants.

“Celebrating each of these schools and rewarding them for their hard work and tireless efforts to transform opportunities for students is an honor,” said Annie Klug, Trail Blazers Foundation Executive Director and Trail Blazers’ Vice President of Community Programs.

“Distributing these grants to schools across Oregon is an exciting process as the Trail Blazers Foundation’s focus is investing in youth where they live, learn, and play. We can’t wait to see the positive impact these grants will have on current and future students.”

School representatives were invited to Moda Center on Saturday, March 9 for a pre-game celebration with Foundation Board members and Trail Blazers staff prior to an on-court recognition during halftime.

The grants will directly support a variety of academic, arts, athletic, and community programs. See below for a full list of grant recipients and their respective programs.

2024 Take it To The Court for Education Grant Recipients

• Clatskanie Elementary School (Columbia)
  • Backpack program providing supplemental food to students experiencing food insecurity
• Culver Elementary School (Jefferson)
  • Full-day family program and connection event
• Gordon Russell Middle School (Multnomah)
  • Upgrading stoves in life-skills classroom
• Grant Watts Elementary School (Columbia)
  • iPads/tech for the support of language development
• Grants Pass High School (Josephine)
  • Technology upgrade for E-sports program
• Imbler School (Union)
  • New track facility with lights 
• Milwaukie El Puente ElementaryBilingual School (Clackamas)
  • Outdoor classroom for students’ mental/emotional support
• Powell Butte Elementary (Multnomah)
  • Schoolhouse Supplies backpack program providing students with supplies
• Riverside ElementarySchool (Clackamas)
  • Multi-grade Ecology & Outdoors Education programming
• Sherman County School District (Sherman)
  • Open gym basketball/team practice space
• Sitton Elementary School (Multnomah)
  • Schoolwide partnership with Mr. David’s Film School for student filmmaking
• Sweetbriar Elementary School (Multnomah)
  • Decodable readers for new book room
• Vestal Elementary – A School for Social Justice (Multnomah)
  • Social Justice showcase for families in support of local businesses
• Waldo Middle School (Marion)
  • ‘Waldo Closet’ providing supplies, shoes, clothes & snacks to students in need
• Wilson Elementary School (Jackson)
  • All-abilities playground equipment to cultivate an inclusive environment

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS FOUNDATION

The Trail Blazers Foundation is dedicated to positively impacting the lives of individuals from communities that have been historically underserved or marginalized with a focus on where youth live, learn, and play across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The Trail Blazers Foundation gives grants to nonprofits, schools and youth and is funded through meaningful corporate partnerships, revenue from Trail Blazers license plate sales, 5050 raffle sales, as well as other fundraising efforts. The Trail Blazers and Trail Blazers Foundation gave $2.089 million to nonprofits and schools during the 2022-23 season. More information is available at www.trailblazers.com/foundation.

ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by the late Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team's rich heritage includes 37 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play. Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, Moda Center, is the first existing arena to earn LEED Platinum Certification in 2019 after receiving LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 and becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010. The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit trailblazers.com.