CHARLOTTE - Carolina Panthers Charities announces a grant program that will provide funding to assist high school athletic programs in North and South Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. With support from the David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, grant funding will assist high school athletic programs in the replacement or repair of sports equipment, supplies or athletic infrastructure lost or damaged due to the recent catastrophic storm damage. High school athletic programs can apply for grant funding ranging from $5,000 - $25,000. Funding decisions will be evaluated individually, with priority given to addressing the most critical needs.
Since 2015, Carolina Panthers Charities has provided nearly $1 million in high school athletics disaster relief grants benefitting 62 high school athletic programs in the two-state region.
"Hurricane Helene and its aftermath was devastating for communities across the region, with many high schools sustaining significant loss or damage to athletic equipment or facilities," said Riley Fields, Carolina Panthers director of community relations. "The Carolina Panthers have a longstanding history of supporting schools and student-athletes across the Carolinas and will continue to do so by helping fund critical repairs and equipment replacement for high school athletic programs."
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association and South Carolina High School League are distributing application forms to member schools with an application deadline of November 1, 2024.
With this announcement, the Tepper foundations have committed over $5 million to Hurricane Helene relief efforts to-date. Additionally, Tepper Sports & Entertainment is providing Bank of America Stadium as the venue for the Concert for Carolina benefit show on Saturday, October 26, and both the Panthers and Charlotte FC continue to actively support relief efforts through various staff and player initiatives, including volunteering at local food packing events and in-person restoration efforts.
