Supporting Martha’s Vineyard Kids

MVYouth, a community fund founded in 2014, announced their 2017 Expansion Grant awards in January. They awarded $1,350,000 to two Island non-profits serving youth - the Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena and Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena was awarded $1,000,000 to complete a $3.7 million capital campaign to fully restore the aging facility. Funding from MVYouth will enable the ice making compressor and sub-ice slab to be replaced as well as the dasher boards and glass around the rink. Flooring to cover the rink area during non-skating months will also be purchased, enabling other indoor sport usage and community events. The entry vestibule, lobby and bleachers will be renovated and modernized to improve the hospitality and ADA compliance of the facility. A new pro-shop and offices will be added, as well as a commercial kitchen and concession stand. A 2,500 square foot multipurpose room will be added to the back of the facility. In the spring and summer when the ice is drained, the facility will be available to host concerts, tradeshows and dances.

Felix Neck was awarded $350,000 to transform a planned three-season barn into a four-season barn in order to accommodate year-round education programs and enable them to host a nature-based preschool. Construction will begin on building the three-season barn in March and it will be ready for summer camp usage. Work to insulate, electrify and plumb the structure will continue in the fall of 2017.  Felix Neck has been offering nature education on Martha’s Vineyard for 52 years through summer camps and school collaborations.

MVYouth was created to benefit local organizations working with Island youth, and provide four-year scholarships to high school seniors with records of achievement and financial need. The organization provides an alternative to traditional capital campaign fundraising by organizing donors around a shared mission and pooling donations to multiply the impact of each gift. MVYouth has dispersed over $1 million+ annually since its inception.

Read more about it at

http://www.mvyouth.com/