The Cleveland Cavaliers announced in November that, as part of their ongoing 50th Season celebration, the organization is making $250,000 of donations to local charitable organizations. Through the Cavaliers Community Foundation, the team is donating $50,000 every month for five months to local non-profit organizations. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank was the first recipient, receiving $50,000 last month for their BackPacks for Kids program.
Say Yes to Education Cleveland is the next recipient and will receive $50,000 for their Scholarship Fund.
Say Yes to Education is a national nonprofit that revitalizes communities by helping them give every public high school graduate access to college or other post-secondary scholarships. Say Yes Cleveland was formed in January 2019 and is the fourth community chapter in the United States.
"We're very proud to be a part of the Cavaliers 50th Season Celebration, and we're grateful for this generous contribution to the Say Yes Cleveland Scholarship Fund," said Diane Downing, executive director of Say Yes Cleveland. "With the help of amazing community partners like the Cavaliers, we've already sent hundreds of last year's CMSD graduates to college and career training with Say Yes scholarships. This contribution will bring us closer to ensuring that those scholarships will be available for the next 25 years."
Say Yes Cleveland requires that all students receiving a scholarship participate in a mentoring program, and in addition to the organization’s monetary donation, members of the Cavs business staff have pledged to serve as mentors.
“Say Yes Cleveland has already had a significant impact in a short amount of time and we are proud to continue our support of their important mission,” said Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO Len Komoroski. “Educational support for the youth in our community is a core part of our approach to giving. This donation is a reflection of our continuing commitment to help deserving local students have the opportunity to stay on a successful path to reach their full potential and turn their hopes and dreams into reality.”
The Cavs will continue to announce a new donation recipient each month for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The 50th Season special charity donations program is in addition to the team’s other community donations and Foundation grants made throughout each and every year.