Boston - The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) awarded $160,000 in community grants and $12,500 in academic scholarships to 32 Boston based nonprofits and five Massachusetts culinary and hospitality students at the Authority’s annual awards luncheon on Thursday, June 20.

The awards were distributed as part of the MCCA’s Community Partnership & Hospitality Scholarship Fund, a program established in 2007 with the support of former State Senator and current MCCA board member, Jack Hart. The program allows for all of Boston’s neighborhoods to benefit from the work of the MCCA and provides workforce development support for Massachusetts students entering the hospitality industry.

The 32 nonprofits selected to receive funding this year represent the following Boston neighborhoods:

Back Bay (1) 

– The Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Boston (4)   

– Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc.

– Boston Police Athletic League, Inc.

– Foundation for Boston Centers for Youth & Families

– Generations Incorporated

Dorchester (12)   

– All Dorchester Sports and Leadership

– Boston Raiders Youth Football & Cheer Pop Warner Little

   Scholar's, Inc. 

– Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester

– Dorchester Baseball

– Dorchester Historical Society

– Dot Art 

– Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts

– Mujeres Unidas Avanzando

– No Books No Ball Basketball Program

– Project D.E.E.P.

 – St. Mary's Center for Women and Children

– The People's Academy

East Boston (2)

– Piers Park Sailing Center

– Salesian Boys & Girls Club of East Boston

Jamaica Plain (2)

– Ballet Rox

– Hyde Square Task Force

Mattapan (2)   

– Mattapan/Greater Boston Technology Learning Center, Inc.

– Mattapan Pop Warner & Cheer Association

Roxbury (9)   

– Boston Missionary Baptist Community Center

– Madison Park Development Corporation

– Mothers for Justice and Equality

– Playworks New England

– Roxbury Cultural District

– Roxbury Titans Pop Warner

– Sociedad Latina

– WEATOC

– WriteBoston

When asked how the funds would directly impact their organization, Alex Difranzo, Executive Director of Piers Park Sailing Center in East Boston, explained that "this partnership has afforded us the opportunity to continue to deliver 100% accessible programming for people of all ages on Boston Harbor. With the MCCA’s support, we can empower 20 additional youth this summer to become advocates of Boston Harbor through community sailing and marine science education.”

The five scholarship winners hail from communities across the state:

South Boston – Taya Henderson, Johnson & Wales University

Randolph – Jennifer Flores, Johnson & Wales University

Peabody – Hannah Kemp, Umass Amherst

North Hampton – Todd Cummings, Holyoke Community College

New Bedford – Erin Almond, Culinary Institute of America

Nonprofits were each awarded $5,000 grants and each student was awarded a $2,500 scholarship. Since the program launched in 2007, the MCCA has awarded $1,388,500 in grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Boston and $140,000 in academic scholarships to 55 Massachusetts students.

For more information on the MCCA’s Community Partnership & Hospitality Fund, please visit:

https://www.massconvention.com/community/grants-program-overview

About the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA)

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA, the Boston Common Parking Garage, The Lawn On D Powered by Citizens Bank, and The Lot On D. The MCCA's mission is to generate significant regional economic activity by attracting conventions, tradeshows, and other events to its world-class facilities while maximizing the investment return for the residents and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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