Making Awesome Happen, $1,000 At A Time 
How do we ensure Newmarket continues to be the best place to live and work in Canada? It starts with Awesome ideas. Enter the Awesome Foundation Newmarket, a group that provides monthly hassle-free micro grants to help bring those ideas to life.
Rather than a charity, the Awesome Foundation is like a giving circle. Ten trustees give $100 of their own money each month to help an individual or group implement a great idea that helps people locally. At the Awesome Foundation Newmarket, we focus on ideas that benefit youth in Newmarket.
We accept idea submissions from people of any age and with a variety of ideas. No idea is too small, and those that promote fun are as important as those with more serious focus. APPLY NOW
Winner!
Latest Awesome Foundation Newmarket Recipient: March 2019
Congratulations to our latest grant recipient! Project Autism – York Region has recently launched the Move program, a weekly Newmarket-based program for kids with autism designed to get them moving.
“Our Move program is all about getting active and having fun while doing it, says Anne Mason, President and Founder of Project Autism – York Region. “We play a variety of cooperative games as well as our own versions of various sports,” she says, noting that active games such as ball hockey and basketball are modified to enhance participation and a feeling of positivity. “Our participants get to enjoy being active and socialize in an accepting and non-competitive environment.”
The organization has also launched a once-a-month group for girls—an initiative, says Anne, that is much needed. “It’s so important for girls on the spectrum to find other girls like themselves and learn that they are not alone.” Each month, the group will feature a different activity that participants can take part in while socializing and enjoying a sense of community.
Project Autism’s groups are completely free and there are no barriers for anyone to participate. “Our programs are geared towards those on the autism spectrum but are open to any special needs children regardless of diagnosis.” Congratulations Project Autism!
Left to right: Awesome trustees Wasim Jarrah, Tracy Macgregor Walter, Jackie Playter with Anne Mason, and trustees Diane Farmer and Hollie Hoadley.
Latest Awesome Foundation Newmarket Recipient: February 2019
Our latest Awesome Foundation Newmarket grant goes to “Feed the Need” at Sir William Mulock High School. The Breakfast Program is a far reaching initiative. In addition to feeding hungry teens, the program provides learning opportunities and job experience to at-risk students in specialized programming. For example, students in Mulock’s Autism program bake muffins, do laundry, deliver snacks, and bag cereal, and students in its Multiple Exceptionalities class deliver snacks on a daily basis to various locations in the school. The program provides three basic food groups to over 100 students every day, says Cynthia Crone, Subject Head of Personalized Alternative Education at Mulock. “Any student can drop by our Main Office, Learning Commons (Library) or Breakfast room and receive grab-n-go healthy snacks to fuel their brains and bodies. We feel that accessibility to healthy food is vital for all students.” The program, she says, provides equal access for all students who might not have access to healthy food but any student can access the food. “We want to encourage healthy eating options for all of our students.”
L to R: Awesome trustees Wasim Jarrah, Jackie Playter and Hollie Hoadley with recipient Cynthia Crone and trustees Diane Farmer and David Faingold.
January 2019
There’s no doubt, kids benefit from outdoor time and a lot of great learning happens through play. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to congratulate Amanda Kennedy on receiving our latest Awesome Foundation
Newmarket grant. Amanda is a grade two teacher at Phoebe Gilman P.S. and the Chair of its Outdoor Classroom Committee. The committee, she says, is in the process of creating an all-seasons outdoor classroom and the Awesome grant will be used to help with the purchase of materials to facilitate learning activities. “Our staff, as well as the YRDSB, see how students benefit from outdoor learning experiences on a regular basis. We have a large school population and expanding our outdoor learning material collection will allow for more staff to take their classes outside.” Besides incorporating the curriculum in a fun and engaging way, the hands-on learning encourages student leadership and collaboration. Congratulations!
From left to right: Awesome trustees Wasim Jarrah, Jackie Playter and Tracy Macgregor Walter with Amanda Kennedy and trustee Diane Farmer
