Buffalo, N.Y. (June 8, 2026) – Project Play Western New York (WNY) announced that 13 organizations have received 2026 Summer Free Play Series grant awards totaling more than $83,000. The grants will fund summer programming for youth that supports access to free play and sport sampling.
The Summer and Winter Free Play Series grants help provide Western New York youth with opportunities to enjoy self-directed free play during school breaks, at no cost to families. Grantees provide programming that best aligns with the mission of Project Play WNY, which is to work toward a community in which all children have the opportunity to be active through sports, regardless of zip code.
Each organization will offer a variety of programming, and dates vary by location.
For example, Explore & More Children’s Museum will once again host lawn games, relay races and introductions to sports at Free Play Fridays at Canalside. At Franczyk Park, Love Alive Fellowship will offer outdoor water play, arts and crafts, yard games and sport and fitness activities. Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center (Cornerstone CFCU Arena) will host on-ice and off-ice games and activities, along with safety education sessions. Other locations offer various sports, games, open gym, hiking and other non-instructional play.
You can learn about the specific Summer Free Play sites and programming at www.projectplaywny.org/summer-free-play.
The 2026 Summer Free Play Series grant recipients are:
- Erie Regional Housing Development Corp (The Belle Center) — $8,000
- Explore & More Children’s Museum — $5,000
- H.E.A.L. International — $8,000
- Jamestown Center City Development Corporation (Northwest Arena) — $ 5,500
- Lackawanna PBA — $7,000
- Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center (Cornerstone CFCU Arena) — $3,300
- Love Alive Fellowship — $5,500
- Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church — $6,000
- Resource Council of WNY, Inc. — $5,000
- Rural Outreach Center (ROC) — $5,600
- Sensational Fun, Inc. — $5,000
- YMCA Buffalo Niagara — $14,563
- Youth Advantage/Buffalo Legacy Project — $5,000
Reintroducing Free Play is one of eight strategies, or “plays,” of Project Play WNY that seek to increase sport participation among urban, suburban and rural youth in Western New York. This strategy followed a comprehensive study about youth sports in the eight counties of Western New York titled, The State of Play: Western New York, commissioned by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program.
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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 more than 100 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 the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided 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. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with 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.