Belquist awards $1,000 grant to NRABC through Gatorade

New Rockford native and Gatorade North Dakota Track and Field Player of the Year, Kelsie Belquist, awarded New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation with a $1,000 grant.

Sports have seen a double-digit decline over the past decade, largely due to tighter budgets in communities, but young people that participate in sports are found to be happier, healthier and better students. Gatorade Play It Forward empowers Gatorade Player of the Year recipients across the country to award local or national sports organizations with grants, so they can further Gatorade’s mission to fuel the future of sport for all athletes.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year award highlights student-athletes who set an example both on and off the field,” said Kara Darling, Assistant Marketing Manager for Gatorade Player of the Year. “The grants give these athletes a chance to donate to organizations like, NRABC, that positively impacts the youth in their own communities.”

"The NRABC plans to use the money to continue planning and organizing the youth track and field day, as well as plan other activities for kids that are sports orientated," said executive director Amanda Hegland.

All 608 Gatorade State Player of the Year recipients are awarded a grant to donate to the organization of their choosing. Each Player of the Year can also submit a video about why their organization is deserving of one of 12 Spotlight Grants, which awards an additional $10,000 to the organization. To date, Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $4.2 million across more than 1,600 organizations.

Gatorade has a longstanding history of serving athlete communities and is to continue doing more to create positive change. Most recently, Gatorade announced Fuel Tomorrow, a new multi-year initiative to help everyone have equal opportunities to play sports and realize their potential.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on Gatorade Play It Forward, the Gatorade Player of the Year, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit PlayerOfTheYear.Gatorade.com

About Gatorade

Player of the Year

As one of the most prestigious high school sports awards in the nation, the Gatorade Player of the Year program celebrates young athletes on their journey to greatness. The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, building an all-star roster of alumni that have reached the heights of greatness or are well on their way, including Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Elena Delle Donne, Paige Bueckers, Nick Singleton and Gradey Dick. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation.