Student-athletes throughout the Woodland Hills School District will benefit from a generous donation from the Tull Family Foundation’s Team UP initiative, which recently announced more than $2 million in grants to support high school athletics in Western Pennsylvania. The Woodland Hills Athletic Department will receive a $250,000 grant as part of that program.
“Thank you to the Tull family for their generous contribution to Woodland Hills Athletics,” Woodland Hills School District Director for Activities, Athletics, and Sponsorships Mr. Ty Brown said. “Your support is more than a donation. It is an investment in young people, their futures, and the lessons that sports teach far beyond the scoreboard. Not everyone understands that athletics is more than "just a game". But a tool for learning valuable life lessons and an avenue towards opportunity.
The donations were unveiled recently at an event at Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, where Mr. Brown and assistant director of activities, athletics, and sponsorships Mr. Jullian Turner were in attendance along with students, school leaders, professional athletics, and local officials from around the region.
“Sports have played a significant role in my life,” Thomas Tull, co-founder with his wife Alba of the Tull Family Foundation, said in a press release. “I had coaches and teammates who have had a lasting impact on me, teaching the discipline of hard work, the structure of showing up prepared, and the rewards that come by learning to rely on one another. This grant focuses on providing high school athletic departments with the resources they need for their athletic programs, so that every boy and girl gets the chance to be part of a team. I believe that the combination of education, coupled with the opportunity to play a sport, is something that every student should have access to.”
As part of the Team UP initiative, the Woodland Hills School District will have the flexibility to use the grant as needed for high school athletics. The grant can used for any sport or spread across multiple sports to address areas of need.
“We are grateful. Our student-athletes are grateful. And the long-term impact of this contribution will reach far beyond today,” Mr. Brown said.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato was among the local elected officials in attendance for the event.
“All students deserve access to the same opportunities to grow, connect, and discover what they are capable of, no matter their zip code or family income,” Innamorato said. “This investment from the Tull Family Foundation expands what is possible for young people by supporting the schools that need it most and by ensuring that every student who wants to participate in sports has the chance to learn, compete, and be part of a team.”
Sports luminaries also spoke at the event, including retired Pittsburgh Steelers stars Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis.
“Youth sports offer kids valuable life lessons, and I’m excited to show my support for this effort and its focus on giving kids opportunity,” said Roethlisberger. “In my own experience, I had the opportunity to play football, basketball, and baseball, which taught me skills that transferred not in sports, but throughout my life. High school sports should be fun, and this pilot grant will give thousands of boys and girls in our community the chance to play.”
"Sports give kids the chance to dream bigger than their circumstances. I’m living proof of that,” Bettis said. “When we offer young athletes from under served communities a hand up, not a handout, we give them the power to rewrite their story and reach for something greater."
Also in attendance at the event were former Steelers Charlie Batch, James Harrison, and Mel Blount, Pittsburgh native and current Yankees pitcher David Bednar, and actor and Mt. Lebanon native Joe Manganiello.
The Woodland Hills School District sponsors 20 varsity sports and 12 middle school sports, which provide competitive opportunities for approximately 400 student-athletes.