What is the purpose of the new local grant program, Champions of the Community?

The program aims to support and empower local non-profits through financial assistance.

Who is eligible to apply for the grants?

The grants are open to all local non-profits that complete project work in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA.

How can non-profits apply for the grants?

The application process will be online, and details will be available on the program's official website under “Champions of the Community”.

What types of activities will the grants cover?

The grants are designed to be versatile, covering a wide range of programs and activities. This includes everything from literacy and food-based programs, to environmental stewardship and athletic programs, ensuring a diverse impact.

How will the selection process for grant recipients work?

A committee comprising community leaders, educators, and student athletes will review applications based on financial need, commitment, and the positive impact the grant can make on the community. Starting in the Fall of 2023, over 30 student athletes began receiving extensive training thanks to the CavFutures Foundation as part of the “Leadership Academy Philanthropy Program”. This program’s goal is to develop a first-of-its-kind student-athlete experience with in-depth training to help develop participants into futures leaders in business and society.

Is there a plan for the sustainability of the grant program in the long run?

Yes, sustainability is a key focus. We are actively seeking partnerships with local businesses, sponsors, and philanthropic organizations to ensure the program's continuity and growth over the years.

How can the local community support the grant program?

The community can support by spreading awareness, participating in fundraising events, and volunteering their time. Additionally, local businesses can explore partnership opportunities to contribute to the success of the program.

How can media outlets contribute to the success of the grant program?

Media outlets play a crucial role in amplifying the program's message. We encourage them to cover success stories, promote events, and help in reaching a wider audience, ultimately inspiring more support for the initiative.

What impact do you hope to see in the community through this grant program?

We aspire to witness increased participation by UVA student athletes in our local community thus enhancing community cohesion, and the emergence of future leaders who have been positively influenced by the program.

How did this program originate and how does The Weinberg Foundation fit into this program?

Thanks to a generous donation and insightful leadership from The Weinberg Foundation, CavFutures Foundation worked to create a unique program to help develop future leaders while also helping to make a tangible difference in our local community. We had over 30 student-athletes participate in a Leadership Academy that provided a deep training around non-profits and grantmaking programs.

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Champions of the Community

New grant program from CavFutures Foundation brings together area non-profits and UVA student athletes.

The Cav Futures Foundation, in partnership with the Weinberg Family Foundation, are pleased to announce the kickoff of the second year of the Champions of the Community Program, which provides grant-funding directly to selected Charlottesville-area nonprofit organizations. This grant program connects UVA student athletes with local nonprofits to support and deepen the work of those organizations serve the Charlottesville community.

The Champions of the Community program is designed and intended to support and nurture community development projects that will enrich the lives of residents and enhance the overall well-being of the region.

In order to be considered for a grant, please read through and complete the following:

Complete the online application.
Cav Futures Foundation and the Champions of the Community Program only accepts applications submitted via the online form.
Paper applications are not accepted.
All applications are due on Thursday, January 23rd, by 11:59pm EST.
Any issues with the online submission, please submit an inquiry below and a team member will reach out to you. You can also reach us at: info@cavscares.org

The 2025 application deadline is Thursday, January 23rd, by 11:59pm EST.

Apply Here

FAQs

What is the purpose of the new local grant program, Champions of the Community?
The program aims to support and empower local non-profits through financial assistance.
Who is eligible to apply for the grants?
The grants are open to all local non-profits that complete project work in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA.
How can non-profits apply for the grants?
The application process will be online, and details will be available on the program's official website under “Champions of the Community”.
What types of activities will the grants cover?
The grants are designed to be versatile, covering a wide range of programs and activities. This includes everything from literacy and food-based programs, to environmental stewardship and athletic programs, ensuring a diverse impact.
How will the selection process for grant recipients work?
A committee comprising community leaders, educators, and student athletes will review applications based on financial need, commitment, and the positive impact the grant can make on the community. Starting in the Fall of 2023, over 30 student athletes began receiving extensive training thanks to the CavFutures Foundation as part of the “Leadership Academy Philanthropy Program”. This program’s goal is to develop a first-of-its-kind student-athlete experience with in-depth training to help develop participants into futures leaders in business and society.
Is there a plan for the sustainability of the grant program in the long run?
Yes, sustainability is a key focus. We are actively seeking partnerships with local businesses, sponsors, and philanthropic organizations to ensure the program's continuity and growth over the years.
How can the local community support the grant program?
The community can support by spreading awareness, participating in fundraising events, and volunteering their time. Additionally, local businesses can explore partnership opportunities to contribute to the success of the program.
How can media outlets contribute to the success of the grant program?
Media outlets play a crucial role in amplifying the program's message. We encourage them to cover success stories, promote events, and help in reaching a wider audience, ultimately inspiring more support for the initiative.
What impact do you hope to see in the community through this grant program?
We aspire to witness increased participation by UVA student athletes in our local community thus enhancing community cohesion, and the emergence of future leaders who have been positively influenced by the program.
How did this program originate and how does The Weinberg Foundation fit into this program?
Thanks to a generous donation and insightful leadership from The Weinberg Foundation, CavFutures Foundation worked to create a unique program to help develop future leaders while also helping to make a tangible difference in our local community. We had over 30 student-athletes participate in a Leadership Academy that provided a deep training around non-profits and grantmaking programs.

If you have questions about this program or want to connect about an idea, please reach out!

Spending the afternoon with @h.e.r_sports >> We had a great time supporting HER Sport’s girls basketball clinic this afternoon! Thank you to everyone who came out.
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Throwback to our incredible visit with @uvarowing and @seminoletrailvfd ! We are so grateful for the heroes in our community, and the oppurtunity to learn about the extraordinary work that they do! 🚒
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POV: You gave away $130,000 in grants to 13 incredible non-profits in the Charlottesville community this year 🥹 Learn more about our Champions of the Community initiative at CavsCare.org 🧡💙 #GoHoos
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Sights and sounds from Jack Fest, where our student-athletes were on site to support @rmhofcville . 🧡💙 Thank you to everyone for their hard work on such a wonderful event! #GoHoos
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A look back at the Back to School Bash weekend earlier this fall led by several local non-profits, brought to you by a few of our @uvamenstennis student-athletes! 📚🎾
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It’s been a busy back to school season for our student-athletes, but we love seeing them engaging with the Charlottesville community! #GoHoos
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Last but not least with our Champions of the Community Grant Program spotlight! Proud to help @cvillefoodpantry 💙🧡
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Final spotlight with @pariss.22 !! A guard on the @uvawomenshoops team pursuing her major in Psych. Thank you Paris!!
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Honored to acknowledge and assist @steppingstonecville through our Champions of the Community Grant Program 🧡💙
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We’re so excited to be on site with @h.e.r_sports for Her Sports Day today 🫶
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Let’s spotlight @taylor.lauterbach !!! She is pursing her masters in Higher Education and is apart of @uvawomenshoops 🧡💙 we appreciate everything you do!!
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Excited to celebrate and support @yellowdooratuva with our Champions of the Community Grant Program 💙🧡
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This week we have another Charlottesville native , @m_fields8 ! A fourth year wide receiver majoring in American Studies. Thank you Malachi!
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Proud to recognize and empower @h.e.r_sports with our Champions of the Community Grant program 🧡💙
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Spotlighting @abbytadder to end the week! A super star on the @uvavolleyball team. Abby will be graduating this December with an Economics degree and a General Business minor. Thank you Abby for all that you do! 💙🧡
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Thrilled to honor and uplift @c4kclubhouse through our Champions of the Community Grant Program 🧡💙
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Highlighting @sage.ennis today who is a part of the @uvafootball team! A transfer from Clemson with an undergrad in Sports Management and a Masters in Athletic Leadership who is pursuing another Masters in Higher Education from UVA. Thank you Sage for your hard work and all that you do for Cav Futures Foundation 💙⚔️🧡
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Delighted to recognize and support @hfhgreatercharlottesville with our Champions of the Community Grant program 💙⚔️🧡
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This week we are spotlighting our very own hometown athlete, @kymorajohnson_ !!! A part of the @uvawomenshoops team, she is planning to major in Youth and Social Innovations. Swipe to learn more about our Charlottesville native 🧡⚔️💙 Thank you Kymora for being apart of the CavFutures Foundation!
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Proud to partner with @comeasyouarecville and help their future mission through our Champions of the Community Grant Program 🧡⚔️💙
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Spotlighting this incredible player, @christianbliss_ !! A rising 2nd year on the @uvamenshoops team who wants to major in American Studies. Swipe to learn more!! Thank you Christian for the work you do with Cav Futures Foundation 🧡⚔️💙
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Thrilled to support the projects of @beabigva with our Champions of the Community Grant program 💙🧡⚔️
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Proud to spotlight @itskadynceboothe this week! Kadynce is a rising 3rd year on the @uvavolleyball team pursuing to major in Media Studies. Check out the next slide to learn more about her! Thank you Kadynce for your passion for Cav Futures Foundation 💙⚔️🧡
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It’s our pleasure to spotlight @brafb for their remarkable community work. We are proud to support them through our Champions of the Community Grant program🧡💙⚔️
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Spending the day with @beabigva 🫂🏀 @virginiasports | #GoHoos
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Today we are spotlighting another Virginia native , @thechicobennett !! A @uvafootball player who graduated UVA with a Sociology degree and is currently getting his masters in Higher Education. He plans to graduate this Fall! Thank you Chico for all the work you do for the Cav Futures Foundation ⚔️💙🧡
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Teamwork 👩‍🍳🥘 A few of our @uvawomenshoops student-athletes spent the afternoon today cooking at @rmhofcville 🧡 #GoHoos | @virginiasports
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Honored to showcase the outstanding work of @campholidaytrails and to contribute to their efforts through our Champions of the Community Grant program 💙🧡⚔️
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It’s always a great day when we get to visit the @caspca 🐾🧡 We loved having our @uvafootball student-athletes visit to help spread the word and find these animals a forever home 🏠 @virginiasports #gohoos
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This week we are spotlighting @0liviamcghee !!! A Virginia native on the @uvawomenshoops team who is going into her 2nd year and is planning to major in Youth and Social Innovations. Thank you for all the work you do with Cav Futures Foundation!!
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Celebrating the fantastic contributions of @cvillecommunitybikes to our community! We’re proud to support their mission through our Champions of the Community Grant program 🧡💙⚔️
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Walk through @rmhofcville with @jalenwarley to see what our @uvamenshoops student-athletes are cooking! 👨‍🍳🍲✨
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This weekend @uvamenshoops student-athletes spent Friday and Saturday afternoon cooking meals for residents at the @rmhofcville ❤️ We love this partnership and the ability to connect our student-athletes with organizations making a meaningful difference in our community.
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Today we’re highlighting third year Isaac McKneely from Poca, W.Va! Isaac has been incredibly active in the Charlottesville community, swipe to get to know him ⚔️ @VirginiaSports | #GoHoos
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We’re thrilled to spotlight another incredible initiatives by @albemarlefoundation4education and are honored to support their efforts through our Champions of the Community Grant Program 💙🧡⚔️
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Spotlighting our first athlete that is involved with Cav Futures Foundation. This is Ashley Le a rising 4th year on the @uvavolleyball team. She plans on graduating early in December. She is majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Entrepreneurship. Get to know @ashleysamanthale on the next page!
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We’re excited to highlight the amazing work that @city_of_promise is doing in our community and are proud to support their efforts through our Champions of the Community grant program!
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We ❤️ @kindnesscville Thank you to everyone who came out to meet our men’s basketball student athletes, and hang out @kindnesscville ☕️
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Grateful for @reece.2 🧡💙 A look back on just a few of many hours he spent in the Charlottesville community while working with @cavfutures_fdn ⚔️
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Bonus post from our @seminoletrailvfd visit for the cutest fire station dog, Ivy 🌿🐾
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A look into our visit with @seminoletrailvfd this evening 🚒🚨 Thank you again to our incredible hosts who do so much for our community.
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A big thank you to @seminoletrailvfd for welcoming us with student-athletes from @uvafootball and @uvamenslax 🚒 We are so grateful for each opportunity to connect student-athletes with our community and learn about the important work others are doing in Charlottesville!
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Introducing the inaugural grant recipients of our Champions of the Community program. Thanks to the generous support of the Weinburg Family, we are proud to uplift these 13 local non-profits in Charlottesville, fueling impactful initiatives that benefit our community. Together, we’re building a brighter future for all.
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This week @uvafootball student-athletes cooked up a meal for families at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville. They also spent time assisting with moving furniture and helping to create a welcoming atmosphere for the residents of @rmhofcville ❤️🏈 We’re grateful for partnerships like these that strengthen relationships in our community. @virginiasports | #GoHoos
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We’re proud to be supporting @h.e.r_sports in this weekend’s Play it Forward Gala! Supporting young women and girls and sport is a foundational pillar in our organization and we couldn’t ask for a better non-profit partner than HER Sports to help us do just that.
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A few more frames from the third annual John Breen Memorial Pinball Tournament at @decadesarcade 👾 Our student-athletes competed in friendly pinball games with attendees to help carry on John Breen’s legacy and raise money in support of @rmhofcville 💛
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Thank you to @decadesarcade for having us out for the third annual John Breen Memorial Charity Pinball Event this afternoon! 👾 We had a great time supporting a great cause at @rmhofcville !
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Earlier this month we joined up with @h.e.r_sports to support a flag football clinic for girls with our student-athletes! We couldn’t be more impressed with these future superstars ⭐️🏈
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We ❤️ @h.e.r_sports 📸: @char.jacksonn
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We are so proud of @uvawomenshoops student-athlete @0liviamcghee 🏀⚔️ She returned home to Louisa County today to visit her old school where she spoke about hard work and chasing your dreams before joining in on some spirit day games. Our @virginiasports student-athletes continue to be excellent role models in their community and we are excited to support their path to lifelong success. #CavFuturesFdn
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Thank you to the @caspca for hosting our @uvamenshoops student-athletes this week. We loved learning about the care you provide to animals in need, and getting to meet the cats and dogs available for adoption! @virginiasports | #GoHoos
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Afternoons with @city_of_promise 🫶
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Bingo night at Johnson Elementary 📚🍎 We loved getting to be a part of this fundraiser for a local elementary school this past weekend, with over 20 athletes and multiple sports represented by @virginiasports student-athletes! @virginiasports | #CavFuturesFdn
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@uvamenslax student-athletes brought smiles to the UVA children’s hospital this week ☀️🥍 As always, we are so grateful for each opportunity to support our community partners and their incredible work.
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Mental health is an important part of student-athlete’s routines. We asked @uvamenshoops student-athletes to share about their strategies for dealing with stress while balancing school, workouts, games and more. #CavFuturesFdn | @virginiasports
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Health and Wellness Night! 📚🍎🫶 @uvavolleyball and @uvafootball student-athletes teamed up to support Baker-Butler Elementary School at their Health and Wellness Night. Students learned about fun activities, competed in push-up contests, rock-climbed and tried lots of healthy, tasty foods. #CavFuturesFdn
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Meet @abbytadder , a @uvavolleyball star and proud advocate for CavFutures Foundation. 🏐⚔️ We love working with incredible female student-athletes like Abby, but we couldn’t do it without your support. Join us today in supporting female student-athletes at UVA by donating through the link in our bio. #internationalwomensday | #GoHoos
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Today we’re celebrating #internationalwomensday with a push to support @virginiasports female student-athletes! Give today through the link in our bio. #GoHoos
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We are so excited to announce our grant applications are now OPEN! Champions of the Community is a unique initiative led by CavFutures Foundation, empowering UVA student-athletes to oversee grants to Charlottesville area non-profits. This year $100,000 in grants will be given away. We encourage all local non-profits to head to our website at CavsCare.org to apply to the Champions of the Community program. The application window will close April 10th, at 11:59pm.
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Arm wrestling, P.E., reading… all in a day’s work with CavFutures Foundation ⚔️ @virginiasports | #GoHoos
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An afternoon with @city_of_promise 🤍⚔️ Learn how to support community connections like this at CavsCare.org.
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If you haven’t heard yet..flag-football is the place to be with @uvafootball student-athletes! We’re so grateful for our partnership with @h.e.r_sports that allows us to show up for each clinic and help young girls grow their skills. #CavFuturesFdn | #gohoos
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Spreading the love on Valentine’s Day 💌 Extra thank you to our friends at Baker-Butler Elementary School for writing such amazing letters to our @uvamenshoops student-athletes after their visit. @virginiasports | #GoHoos
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A special shoutout for Girls and Women in Sports day from a few of our Men’s Basketball student-athletes! We’re proud to spotlight incredible women in sports today and everyday. Thank you for all you do. #girlsandwomeninsportsday
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We are so excited to be bringing an incredible new grant program to Charlottesville in collaboration with the Weinberg Family. Join us March 5th for an Info Session and Press Conference at 10am in the Codebase Building located at the downtown mall. Please reach out directly with questions or email info@cavscare.org. RSVP to attend through the link in our bio!
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Thank you @seminoletrailvfd for teaching us about the valuable role you play in our community! 🚒‼️
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@uvamenshoops student-athletes took a visit to @seminoletrailvfd this weekend to learn about an important part of Charlottesville. They also met classmates at UVA who make up many of the volunteer firefighters. We’re proud to continue connecting student-athletes to the Charlottesville community in meaningful ways, and are grateful for the Seminole Fire Department for their hospitality! 🏀🚒
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We are so excited to work with @cvilleballet to promote their Keith Lee Scholarship, and the benefits of ballet for everyone. Our @uvafootball student-athletes were great sports and became ballet students for the day this past Friday afternoon for a video campaign that will be released later this spring. Special thank you to @sirciaa and her team at @uvaenactus for putting this project together!
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We’re proud to be supporting female athletes in partnership with @h.e.r_sports ! Head to CavsCare.org to learn more about how you can support female student-athletes at UVA, and the next generation of girls in sports. #CavFuturesFdn #Charlottesville #girlsinsports #uvaathletics
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A look into our student-athletes evening at the Baker-Butler Elementary School Literacy night! 📚🥞 They helped serve pancakes and read books to hundreds of local elementary kids who gathered for a night all about reading! #CavFuturesFDN #virginiasports #literacy
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We had a great time helping out at Baker-Butler’s literacy night! 📚🥞
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Thank you to everyone who came out to @h.e.r_sports second flag-football clinic for girls! We had a great time with @uvawomenshoops and @uvafootball student-athletes. See you in February! 🏈✨ #flagfootball #charlottesville #nil #cavfuturesfdn @virginiasports
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Three more days until the next @h.e.r_sports flag-football clinic! Come out this Monday, 12-2pm at the SOCA Field House to meet @uvafootball and @uvawomenshoops athletes and learn to play! Free to girls ages 7-17. Follow for more info and updates ➡️ @h.e.r_sports See you there 🎉🏈 #flagfootball #charlottesville #womeninsport
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As 2023 comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to highlight just a few of the incredible student-athletes we’ve worked with this year. We are so grateful for the momentum we built this year, and can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store. #UVA #NIL #2023 #CavFuturesFdn
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Holiday hoops with Leon (@leonbond_3 ) from @uvamenshoops ! 🎉🏀 As always, thank you to @city_of_promise for helping us connect our student-athletes to the Charlottesville community.
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Our @virginiasports student-athletes were busy spreading holiday cheer today at @dairymarketcville 🎄🎁🎉 From a toy drive and bicycle giveaway, to ginger-bread house decorating and Santa Claus, today’s event had it all- and we loved being a part of it! #NIL #UVA #holidayseason
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We had a great time this morning with many @uvafootball student-athletes showing up to help with the @h.e.r_sports flag-football clinic! We firmly believe in supporting girls in sport, and are grateful to have been a part of today’s clinic. Keep an eye out for @h.e.r_sports flag-football league for girls! 👀🏈
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Calling all young female athletes in Charlottesville! Join us with @h.e.r_sports this Saturday to play in pick-up flag football games and learn skills from your favorite @uvafootball student-athletes! Sign up on site, or through the link in our bio! ⚔️
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Keep an eye out for @cavfutures_fdn representatives ringing @salvationarmyus bells around Charlottesville! #charlottesville #NIL #uva @virginiasports
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Decorating book bags ➡️ Taking books home 📚 Malachi Fields (@m_fields8) and Will Bettridge (@will_bettridge2 ) spent the afternoon with @city_of_promise helping local children decorate special book bags to take home our donated books!
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Connecting student-athletes with the Charlottesville community > #Charlottesville #NIL #UVA
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Join #GivingTuesday by supporting CavFutures Fdn. at CavsCare.org 🧡💙
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Friday mood ‼️🥳 Featured are some of our amazing student-athlete mentors, @bs9_._ & @alongaboi , spending time at a local elementary school. Have a great weekend, Hoos!
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We are so excited to partner with @city_of_promise ! Thank you to @nbc29wvirtv for highlighting this joint effort to build relationships between the Charlottesville community and UVA student-athletes.
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Ben Smiley (@bs9_._ ) & Aaron Faumui (@alongaboi ) from @uvafootball spent some time at a local school Monday afternoon. They are incredible role models for young students in Charlottesville.
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Chico Bennett Jr. & Tony Muskett from @uvafootball took a trip to speak with @st.annesbelfield_football yesterday. Wishing the best of luck to Coach Sandoe and his team this season!
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Aaron Faumui (@alongaboi ) took a trip to the third grade this week 📚✏️🚸
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@uvawomenshoops appreciation post 🫶 #BetterTogether #BackToSchoolBash
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The Back to School Bash at the Boys and Girls Club was a huge success today! Connor Shellenberger (@connorshellenberger1) & Cole Kastner (@ckast_) helped pass out shoes with @prolyfyckruncreww, worked the waffles table, and most importantly got the scoop on going back to school 🎤📚🚸 #uvalacrosse #charlottesville #backtoschool
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In partnership with the Good Feet Store and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Men’s and Women’s basketball players Reece Beekman and Camryn Taylor spent time visiting with military families before a Richmond Flying Squirrels win. Learn more about how Cav Futures Foundation connects UVA student-athletes with their community at cavscare.org 🔸⚔️🔹
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A look into @blake_buchanan4 ‘s day, including a great visit to @jaofcentralva to learn important financial literacy skills. 🔸⚔️🔹
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A recap of yesterday’s visit to @jaofcentralva where @uvamenshoops spent the afternoon learning important financial literacy skills, participating in a budgeting simulation, and working with a great group of volunteers.
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Cavs Care 🔸⚔️🔹 This week, UVA Men’s Basketball gave back to the CVille community by spending time at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Charlottesville.
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We had a GREAT time at the C’ville Black Knights JDYFL camp this past weekend! There were definitely some future Hoos in attendance 👀 shoutout to our player coaches & the community organizers @mandyj_1410 @thevilleage 📸 @cielaxciela
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Our education portal is now LIVE! This is exclusively available to UVA student athletes. DM us for the verification passcode 🔒 More details to come 👀
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Come learn from the best! We will be co-sponsoring this event and bringing a few of UVA’s awesome football players with us. DM us for the link to register today 📲 #familyevent #charlottesville #spring #footballcamp #youth #youthcamp #nil #football #cfb #qb #footballplayer #coach #communityservice #cville #virginia
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We partnered with @reece.2 to bring this special gift to the Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville in celebration of his McDonald’s sponsorship! Be sure to follow @rmhofcville to stay up to date on all their fun events & volunteer opportunities 💛🍟 #mbb #cbb #nil #marchmadness #volunteer #service #foundation #community #rmhc #mcdonalds #uva #gohoos #wahoowa
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Our @yellowdoorfdn ambassadors are hard at work 🔨 Thank you to Connor, Grayson, and their teammates for helping to prepare an apartment for an incoming family! 💛🏠
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We are excited to support @cavfutures in providing UVA student-athletes with meaningful NIL opportunities & educational programming. With the full support of @virginiasports, the sky’s the limit ⚔️ #gohoos
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Cavs Care 🔸⚔️🔹 Get your CC shirt in our @fansmeetidols storefront today! #gohoos #uva #wahoowa #cavaliers #merch #merchdesign #studentathletes #cfb #wbb
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