The Bill Belichick Foundation, organized by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and president Linda Holliday, announced Wednesday it had distributed $385,000 in scholarships and grants to provide athletic experiences to student-athletes across the country.
“As athletic programs recover from programming obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bill Belichick Foundation has distributed monetary awards to qualifying organizations through its annual grant and scholarship program,” the foundation wrote in a statement, as shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“While the pandemic continues to affect sports at all levels, the Bill Belichick Foundation’s financial support will help rebuild and grow sports programs across the United States. Scholarship and grant funds will provide athletic experiences and opportunities to underprivileged youth and sports programs in need.”
The foundation, established in 2013 in memory of the late Steve Belichick, awarded 13 scholarships. Those athletes, in order to qualify, must be a senior in high school or a freshman, sophomore or junior in college as well as play at least one sport and hold a GPA of 3.0 or better. This year the Bill Belichick Foundation awarded 32 athletic programs a grant of $10,000.
The mission of the non-profit organization, as shared on its website, goes as follows: “The Bill Belichick Foundation aims to provide coaching, mentorship, and financial support to individuals, communities, and organizations. Focusing on football and lacrosse, its mission is to bring the values of the Belichick family — a love of sports, coaching and team building — to the athletic leaders of tomorrow.”
