Wayne HS Athletics Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jessie Newton
Field Marketing Manager
California Casualty
317-407-8716
JNewton@calcas.com

Wayne High School in Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Awarded Athletics Grant

Ft Wayne, Indiana, April 2013 … Wayne High School in Ft Wayne, Indiana has been awarded $1,000 from the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program. Wayne High School is one of 85 public high schools in 38 states receiving a total of $101,500 for struggling athletics programs.

Wayne High School has learned that cheaper materials and shoddy craftsmanship don’t hold up. The boys’ team has new uniforms, but no warm-ups. The girls’ team uniforms and warm-ups are falling apart, and the sizes don’t match the physiques of the team. The team has investigated ordering t-shirts and sweats for the runners, but many of them couldn’t afford the price. The grant from California Casualty will assist them in the purchase of necessary attire, which will boost morale and confidence to compete.

Shrinking state education budgets, pressure on schools to focus efforts on academics, and diminishing funds for athletics inspired California Casualty Chairman and CEO Beau Brown to establish the grant program in honor of his father – Chairman Emeritus Tom Brown, a lifelong athlete and sportsman.

“Youth sports teach teamwork, discipline and that hard work pays off,” Tom Brown said. “They’re a valuable complement to lessons learned in school.”

The California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program began two years ago, with $25,000 in grants across four states. Applications revealed such compelling need that the grant pool was tripled and eligibility expanded to all states for the second year of the program. In 2012, 275 applications for assistance poured in. Fifty-nine selected programs received grants ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. This year 457 grant applications were received – a 70 percent increase. The amount of total funding, $101,500 reflects a 35 percent increase over last year, while the number of school programs receiving support increased 42 percent.

California Casualty has an enduring relationship with education and school administration associations, and has long been a trusted source for auto and home insurance. “We understand the struggles they face every day,” said Doug Goldberg, Senior Vice President. “This is our way of giving back.”

For more information about the Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program, visit www.CalCasAthleticsGrant.com.

California Casualty is a 99-year-old policyholder-owned company headquartered in San Mateo, CA with service centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas. Learn more about its auto and home insurance for firefighters, peace officers, educators and nurses at www.calcas.com.

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