Newtown Connection Awarded $30,000 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota

March 21, 2022 – Sarasota

Newtown Connection, a program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, is proud to announce a grant of $30,000 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support Equity and Access. This grant is intended to provide greater inclusion to underrepresented populations in the Sarasota County area. Newtown Connection will use this generous funding to support its baseball and health & nutrition programming in the community of Newtown. This funding opportunity aligns perfectly with the mission of Newtown Connection as its mission is to provide a mechanism for professional athletes, both active and retired, to bring people together to create a culture of inclusivity and acceptance through Sports, Health, and Education, while providing an unwavering commitment to the youth of their respective communities. This funding will help Newtown Connection advance its mission.

Funding for this program is provided by the Vern Ruhle Memorial Fund, the Edward K. Roberts Fund, and the Walter Francis Conniff and Phyllis Sloat Conniff Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Newtown Connection was founded in 2020 by neighbors, Ian Desmond and Vince Northfield. MLB player, Ian Desmond, has had the opportunity throughout his career to participate in a variety of youth development programs, making an impact across the country. Vince Northfield has extensive and diverse business experience managing global businesses across numerous industries. By taking Mr. Desmond’s knowledge of baseball, philanthropy and successful youth development programs and combining it with Mr. Northfield’s business acumen, financial understanding and experience creating scalable and replicable strategies, Newtown Connection was created in June 2020. With a focus on underserved youth, Newtown Connection looks forward to engaging underserved youth through a sports-based curriculum to provide them the tools and resources to be the next leaders of their communities.

“For an organization of our size, the significance of this grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota Country really can’t be overstated,” said co-founder, Vince Northfield. “It aligns perfectly with our mission of creating an inclusive sports culture and introducing America’s pastime to a new and diverse generation of young people. Newtown Connection was founded on the ideals of Equity and Access so we really couldn’t imagine a better partnership.”

Newtown Connection is an after-school sports and nutrition program that works in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. The program targets underrepresented children, ages 6-12, and provides them with baseball and health instruction, along with instilling important life lessons and providing trauma-informed mentorship. The program operates at the Newtown Estates Park Boys & Girls Club in order to directly target youth who would otherwise not have the means, access or ability to participate in a baseball program. Newtown Connection uses the Washington Nationals’ Youth Baseball Academy program model. This program model includes modified baseball activities that are inclusive and more about promoting a positive sports culture and instilling healthy habits than they are about hitting home runs. With this funding, Newtown Connection is well equipped to support a new and diverse generation of baseball players and future leaders in the community.