Predators Foundation announces $305,000 in grants to local charities

The Predators Foundation, the charitable arm of the Nashville Predators organization, is set to outline their grant awards for the 2009-10 season, which represent more than a 10% jump over last year's giving.

Follow after the jump for the press release, which includes the complete list of grant recipients...

Tomorrow, April 9 the Nashville Predators Foundation will distribute 117 grants totaling $305,000 to Nashville and Middle Tennessee-based community service and charitable organizations. The grants will be presented during a 2 p.m. ceremony at Bridgestone Arena.

This announcement marks the 12^th grant distribution by the Predators Foundation. Since its 1998 inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.5 million in financial grants to Nashville and Middle Tennessee community service and charitable organizations. Between the grants and other charitable donations, such as player ticket programs and fund-raising efforts, the Foundation put more than $­­­500,000 back into the community during the 2009-10 season.

            "This season's grant distribution marks the biggest one-time donation in Foundation history," Predators Foundation President Gerry Helper said. "In keeping with our mission, these grants will help fund and support numerous youth-oriented programs and projects - which wouldn't be possible without our fantastic fans and partners. Through their continued support of our fund-raising efforts such as the Gala Ball, Golf Tournament, Wine Festival and Tasting and game-night silent auctions, we are able to give back to more than 100 charities and organizations that are the backbone of Nashville and Middle Tennessee."

            Each year, the Predators choose four organizations to serve as featured charities for the season. In addition to financial grants, the Predators Foundation also provides these featured charities with organizational visits by players and Preds personalities as well as added exposure, awareness and visibility for the charity. The featured charities for the 2010-2011 season are: Best Buddies, Girls on the Run, Monroe Harding and Siloam Family Health Center.

            Upon reviewing hundreds of grant applications, and in keeping consistent with the Foundation's mission, the grant committee selected programs that will primarily benefit children. Of 104 total charities, 64 were Nashville-based and 40 were first-time recipients of Predators Foundation grants. The grant money will benefit local youth in many ways, such as:

• Friends of TN School for the Blind, Inc. -  Funding will cover the purchase of bicycles with multiple adjustment features, for use by the blind and multi-challenged students in the TN School for the Blind
• Love Helps, Inc. - Funding will cover printed materials and prizes for MNPS elementary students participating in the Triple "A" Achiever Awards program.
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt - Funding will assist developing a school re-entry program for pediatric cancer patients at the Children's Hospital.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville - Funding will cover the renovation of the former smoking porch, which will now be a tranquil, smoke-free outdoor common area for families and children.
• Saddle Up! - Funding will purchase a large horse for the therapeutic riding program which can accommodate the weight of a child who weights the same as an adult.

Established in September 1998, the Predators Foundation strives to meet the educational, social, health and cultural needs of the community by offering unique resources and financial support to local youth-oriented organizations. All 501(c)3 organizations in Middle Tennessee are eligible to receive grants, which are distributed once a year. Annual grant applications were received by mid-February for consideration.

The following is a complete list of organizations that received the 2010 grants from the Predators Foundation:

• 5 Loaves 4 Kids
• A.B.L.E. Youth, Inc.
• Access Services of Middle Tennessee - Technology Access Center
• Adventure Science Center
• Against the Grain
• Alive Hospice
• Ashley Strickland's Children Corporation
• Ashley's Place (Sumner Child Advocacy Center)
• Best Buddies
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee
• Book'em
• Books from Birth of Middle Tennessee
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County
• Buddy Ball Special Needs Athletic League A Division of Progressive Directions, Inc.
• Camp Marymount
• Camp Sycamore Creek
• CASA of Maury County, Inc
• CC TAD CENTER
• Challenged Athletes Playing Equally (C.A.P.E.)
• Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County, Inc.
• Child Protection Agency of Cannon County, Inc./REACH
• City of Life Corporation
• Clarksville-Montgomery County American Red Cross
• Coffee County Children's Advocacy Center
• Community Childcare Center
• Community Resource Center
• Cottage Cove Urban Ministries
• Cumberland University
• Daystar Counseling Ministries, Inc.
• Deer Run Retreat Center
• Domestic Violence Program Inc.
• Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee
• East Academy
• East Nashville Hope Exchange
• Education Equal Opportunity Group, Inc., (EEOG)
• Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center
• Faces of Hope Children's Therapy Center
• Family Center, The
• Fayetteville/Lincoln County Arts League
• FiftyForward
• First Steps
• Friends of TN School for the Blind, Inc.
• Frist Center for the Visual Arts
• Gallatin Child Care Center, Inc.
• Gallatin Shalom Zone
• Girls on the Run Nashville
• GNMHA (Greater Nashville Minor Hockey Association) Nashville Jr. Predators
• Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
• Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey League
• Hearing Bridges (formerly League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Humane Society of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Inc.
• Janet's Planet, Inc.
• Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
• Kids To The Country
• Kilowatt Ours (501c3 is Trust for the Future)
• King's Daughters Day Home
• L.A.S. THERAPY NETWORK AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC.
• Leg Up Therapeutic Riding Center
• Love Helps, inc.
• Martha O'Bryan Center
• Mary Parrish Center
• Men of Valor
• Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee
• Mercy Children's Clinic
• Mid South Mediation Services
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
• Monroe Harding, Inc
• Morning Star Sanctuary, Inc.
• MOTHER TO MOTHER
• My Friend's House Family & Children Services
• Nashville Chess Center
• Nashville Children's Alliance
• Nashville Children's Theatre
• Nashville Inner City Ministry
• Nashville Rescue Mission
• Nashville Safe Haven Family Shelter D.B.A. Safe Haven Family Shelter
• Nashville Youth Hockey League
• Nations Ministry Center
• Next Door, Inc.
• Our Kids, Inc.
• PENCIL Foundation
• Plateau Pregnancy Services
• Preston Taylor Ministries
• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
• Refuge Center for Counseling
• Rejoice Ministries, Inc.
• Renewal House
• Rocketown of Middle Tennessee
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville
• Rutherford LEAP
• Saddle Up!
• Siloam Family Health Center
• Special Olympics Tennessee
• Sports 4 All Foundation
• Spruce Street Community Development Corporation
• STARS (Students Taking A Right Stand)
• SUMNER COUNTY JUST SAY NO
• T.H.R.U.S.T. Math & Science Summer Program for Boys
• Tennessee EDGE
• Tennessee Kidney Foundation
• Tennessee Lions Charities
• Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC)
• United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
• United Way of Metropolitan Nashville
• Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
• YMCA of Middle Tennessee
• YMCA of Middle Tennessee: Joe C. Davis Outdoor Center - Camp Widjiwagan
• Youth Encouragement Services
• Youth Villages
• Youth, Inc.

Breakdown of grant amounts by year are as follows:

1999 - $145,927

2000 - $250,850

2001 - $226,048

2002 - $211,729

2003 - $154,980

2004 - $146,040

2005 - $54,152

2006 - $149, 348

2007 - $240,110

2008 - $250,524

2009 - $260,000

2010 - $305,000

Board of Directors for the Nashville Predators Foundation:

Jack Diller, Chairman ● Gerry Helper, President ● Ed Lang, Vice President ● Mike Kaplan, Secretary ●

Beth Snider, Treasurer ● Deryl Bauman ● Sharon Bell ● Mark Blaze ● Dr. Kevin Churchwell ● Laura Currie ● Willie Diehl ● Melissa Freeman ● Jim Fyke ● Joe Huston ● Brad Karro ● Dan MacDonald ● Barbara Mandrell ● Ken Premo ● Ron Samuels ● Kim Trotz