Columbus, OH – The Lindy Infante Foundation, whose mission is to provide athletic scholarships to children in need, has granted the Boys & Girls Club of Columbus $225,000 to establish the first Lindy Infante Foundation Athletic League. This transformational gift will provide girls and boys in grades 3–6 the opportunity to participate in high-level competitive sports.
Boys & Girls Club of Columbus (BGCC) currently offers a variety of intramural sports activities that help youth have fun and get physical exercise in a non-competitive nature.
“Offering our members an opportunity to be trained and participate in competitive sports will enhance their overall club experience and increase the likelihood that they will stay engaged in the Club through their middle and high school years”, says Rebecca Asmo, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Columbus.
The Lindy Infante Foundation is equally excited about the partnership. “The relationship that we are building with Boys & Girls Club of Columbus is providing us with the foundation to begin accomplishing our goal and the fact that Lindy began his journey with the same organization has led us to believe this partnership is meant to be.” says Brad, founder and son of the late Gelindo “Lindy” Infante.
ABOUT LINDY INFANTE FOUNDATION
The mission of the Lindy Infante Foundation is to provide athletic scholarships to children in need to play sports. The organization honors the life and legacy of Gelindo “Lindy” Infante, former University of Florida football player who later earned his fame as the head coach for the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
As a child, Lindy Infante faced considerable hardships, the early death of his mother and an absentee father left his sister as his primary care giver. Impoverished and with no direction, he was headed down the wrong path until he entered a nationally sponsored race at the Boys & Girls Club where he placed 10th. That moment catapulted him into the limelight and ultimately into his professional career. After his passing in 2016, Lindy’s son Brad Infante and daughter-in-law Stephanie launched the Lindy Infante Foundation to ensure that all children in need have the opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF COLUMBUS
Boys & Girls Club of Columbus (BGCC) has been providing after school and summer programming to underserved youth in Columbus since 1948. An affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which serves more than 4 million youth annually throughout the United States, Boys & Girls Club of Columbus’ mission is to empower the young people who need us most to realize their potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. The organization’s youth development programs focus on three program pillars: 1) Academic Success 2) Good Character & Citizenship 3) Healthy Lifestyles and are available to youth ages 6-18. The Clubs are open Monday through Friday from 3pm to 8pm during the school year and from 10am to 5pm during the summer. Youth pay an annual fee of $5 to join the Club and as Club members have unlimited access to the Club and all activity offerings provided during the program day.
On Thursday, December 14, 2017, the Lindy Infante Foundation officially kicked open its non-profit doors by hosting a “friendraiser” at The Exchange in Dublin. In attendance were friends, family, co-workers and former teammates of Lindy’s. The event offered the attendees the opportunity to hear Lindy’s story first hand as told by his son and his wife and also to hear the impact Lindy had on those whose life he touched through coaching. The launch party was a huge success and the Foundation has exceeded all expectations during their first year of operation thanks in large part to the folks that came, enjoyed the evening, heard the story, were inspired and spread the word.