TRAVERSE CITY, MI – June 15, 2023) — Thompsonville native and Gatorade Michigan Boys Cross Country Player of the Year, Hunter Jones, awarded the Traverse City Track Club with a $1,000 grant to help accomplish our mission to “promote and encourage health, fitness, fellowship, community service, family recreation and competition via running and walking for all ages and abilities.”
The Gatorade Play It Forward program 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 the Traverse City Track Club that positively impacts the youth in their own communities.”
“The Traverse City Track Club is so honored to receive the grant from Hunter Jones via the Gatorade Player of the Year Program. Hunter’s accomplishments speak of his work ethic and passion for the sport of running,” said Janice Beyer, President of Traverse City Track Club. “This grant will allow us to continue to support and encourage the younger generation of runners.”
All 608 Gatorade State Player of the Year recipients are awarded a grant to donate to the organization of their choosing. 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.
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
