Project Play Western New York Announces 2021 Multisport Student Athlete Award Recipients

Buffalo, N.Y. – Project Play Western New York is pleased to announce the 2021 Multisport Student Athlete Award recipients. These student athletes share the belief that the value of sports is measured by more than the scoreboard, and were nominated for the award by their Athletic Directors and/or school administrators. The 2021 recipients are:

  • Charles Agle, Eden High School
  • Ethan Bunch, Middle Early College High School
  • Linda Byamungu Preto, International Prep at Grover Cleveland
  • Kaitlyn Golubski, John F. Kennedy – Cheektowaga-Sloan UFSD
  • Alex Hale, Batavia High School
  • Nate Engdahl, Chautauqua Lake Secondary School
  • Connor Kiefer, City Honors
  • Miles Klube, East Aurora High School
  • Benny Mahar, Wilson High School
  • Philip Marcello, Olmsted High School
  • Dylan Miskell, Hamburg High School
  • Nelly Ngabo, Riverside High School
  • Jennifer Reagan, Wilson High School
  • Antwain Waters, Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management
  • Isabelle Wier, East Aurora High School
  • Brooke Woodard, Eden High School
  • Bryn Wormley, Batavia High School

The athletes are graduating seniors who participated in at least three scholastic sports. Students were selected based on their commitment to their teams through a willingness to help, teach and assist their teammates and coaches, and by serving as a positive and relatable role model through good sportsmanship and a great attitude on and off the court/field. Recipients succeeded in the classroom by maintaining academic eligibility throughout their high school career and made a positive difference in the lives of youth at their school and in the wider community

One of the key goals of Project Play WNY is to encourage sports sampling. Child development experts agree that participation in multiple sports enhances the development of not just athletic ability, but more importantly, life skills such as communication, teamwork and the value of hard work and commitment.

“The high school sports experience can help shape student athletes for the rest of their lives, and when the lessons learned in sport are combined with the lessons learned in the classroom, it creates a powerful platform for success in life,” said Daycia Clarke, Director of Youth Sports Initiatives, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “Project Play Western New York is proud to celebrate the athletes, coaches, schools and communities that embrace the value of a multisport experience and the impact it can have on the trajectory of a student athlete’s life.”

For more information on the Multisport Student Athlete Award, visit projectplaywny.org.

###

About Project Play WNY

Project Play WNY is driven and funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s Youth Sports & Recreation focus area in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. It is a collective impact model that includes 87 individuals who are focused on ensuring all WNY kids have the opportunity to be active through sport.  For more information, visit projectplaywny.org .

About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at cfgb.org.

About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the foundation that bears his name. The foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information, visit www.rcwjrf.org.