Projects

Youth Sports
The Trust supports the City of Orlando’s athletic programs by supplying uniforms, equipment, and other needed supplies to supplement the fees charged to participants.  In addition, the Trust provides scholarships for low-income children to participate in athletic programs.  Teams sports for youth include baseball, basketball, softball, flag football, volleyball, cheerleading, tackle football, tennis, and track leagues.

Cultural Arts
The Cultural Arts Program is one important component of the City’s summer and after-school programming and provides a wide range of opportunities for children and adults alike, including cultural experiences from visual arts and nature activities to pottery and puppetry.  The Trust supports the Cultural Arts by funding arts and craft supplies and the pottery studio at the Downtown Recreation Center.

10,000 Trees Initiative
The 2004 turbulent hurricane season resulted in a loss of more than 20,000 City and private trees (average annual loss is 500 trees) in the City of Orlando. In an effort to restore the forestry damage incurred this past year, the City of Orlando’s Parks Division, Green-up Orlando and Keep Orlando Beautiful, Inc., joined forces to launch a tree replacement strategy to keep Orlando beautiful. The 10,000 Trees Initiative is designed to replace the urban canopy in the Orlando community by 2010.

Parramore Kidz Zone
In 2006, the City of Orlando launched the Parramore Kidz Zone (PKZ) project to transform a distressed Orlando neighborhood into a healthy place for children. Parramore, home to about 2,000 children, has Orlando’s highest juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, school failure, and child abuse/neglect rates. PKZ intends to “move the needle” on these child well-being indicators by equipping Parramore’s children with the tools and skills needed for successful transition into healthy adulthood.

Tennis Center
Many Orlando tennis enthusiasts make donations to the Trust to enhance the facilities, equipment, and programming at the Orlando Tennis Center. The site offers adult tennis clinics (18 and up), league play, private lessons, tournaments, USRSA Racquet Stringers and youth tennis programs (6 and up). In addition tennis programs are also offered at Dover Shores Community Center, John H. Jackson Community Center, College Park, Delaney Park and the Orlando Sport's Campus.

Wetlands Festival
Each year the Trust supports the Orlando Wetlands Festival at the Wetlands Park. This facility is unique in that it is both a beautiful natural park, with approximately 20 miles of scenic trails and a water treatment facility for the City of Orlando.  The Wetlands Festival takes place in February and offers many free, interactive activities including guided birding hikes, animal catch and release demos, live wild animals, and tree giveaways.

Wheels For Kids
For five years, Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan has given bikes to underprivileged children living in the Reeves Terrace Housing Community. Donations are made to the Trust to benefit this project and bikes are distributed every December. The program was started in 2002 after school bus routes from Reeves Terrace were cancelled, leaving many children without transportation to school. Since then, area businesses have partnered to donate more than 320 bikes to children in need. Orlando firefighters and police assist in assembling the bikes and teaching the children about bike safety.

After-School Programs
The City of Orlando’s Recreation Division offers safe and affordable after school programs for elementary and middle school age children. This five-day a week program at 15 City recreation centers offer a diverse array of activities, such as homework time, computer lab, arts and crafts, nutrition and fitness. The Trust supports these programs by raising funds for supplies, equipment, and special programs. For example, the Trust equipped the J.B. Callahan center with new computer equipment for youth and local residents.

Older Adults
The City of Orlando’s Recreation Division operates two full-time older adult centers: Mayor William Beardall Center (downtown) and L. Claudia Allen Center (West Orlando). Both centers are state-of-the-art facilities featuring fitness rooms, classrooms, computer labs, and ballrooms for dancing and special events. Thousands of adults over 55 participate in nearly 100 classes, clubs, and programs offered every month, many of which are funded in part by the Trust.

Parramore Kidz Zone Peddling for Pride Event	Swim lessons at the James R. Smith Center pool
A Walk in the Park	Senior Bowling Event