Helping Local Kids Lead Healthy Lives: Newport Hospital’s Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund Sends $135,293 to Local Programs

Christian Winthrop·
LocalThe Buzz

As children have spent the past year-plus living through an unpredictable pandemic, often missing the programs that help them grow and thrive, Newport Hospital and the Prince family are investing in programs to get local kids moving again.

Recently, the hospital’s Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund awarded a total of $135,293 in grants to 25 Newport County organizations. The “Powered by Prince” grants will support programs that help area children lead healthier and more active lives.

“This fund is a tremendous resource for our community, and it is an honor for our hospital to be part of something that deepens our collective impact on the lives of children across Newport County,” said Crista F. Durand, president of Newport Hospital. “It is so important that we support the development of leading a healthy lifestyle among the youngest in our community, and that’s exactly the goal of these programs.”

The Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund was established in 2010 when Elizabeth Prince of Newport and her children – Guillaume de Ramel, Diana Oehrli, and Regis de Ramel – donated $3 million to the hospital to fund activities for underserved, school-age children in Newport County that promote health through activity.

Grantees in 2021 will safely provide youth with a range of fitness and athletic opportunities, including golf, swimming, biking, surfing and tennis, as well as nutrition education that help them bond with nature and gardening, and eating healthy.

“The last year has been very difficult and disruptive for our youth, particularly with regard to a lack of activities,” said Guillaume de Ramel. “We’re really excited about this year’s funded programs and for the children who will benefit from them. Congratulations to all of our grantees.”

Featuring a new full-size squash court for student-athletes to use, the Newport County YMCA’s
RhodySquash program is back in full swing. The afterschool program for kids in grades 5-8 combines squash
lessons with tutoring and mentoring support. Newport County YMCA recently received a grant from
Newport Hospital’s Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund to support the program.

Since its inception, the Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund at Newport Hospital has provided more than $893,000 in grants for programs in Newport County. Recipients of 2021 Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund grants and their programs are: 

  • Aquidneck Community Table: The Root Riders summer program, offering exercise and learning through biking and gardening.
  • Bike Newport: Funding in support of summer bike camp.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Newport County: Learn to swim program for children age 5-12.
  • Butler Basketball Club: Support for the “Skills and Fitness” clinic.
  • *Child & Family Services: Sandpipers Outdoor Play Zone for daily exercise and safe movement.
  • FabNewport: Collaboration with Gnome Surf to provide surf lessons to local youth. 
  • *Gnome Surf: Expansion of surf therapy program, offering surf lessons as a means of exercise and self-learning.
  • International Tennis Hall of Fame: Free tennis instruction program to increase access to the sport.
  • Island Community Tennis Association: Funding for a 6-week tennis program for kids age 6-10.
  • Island Moving Company: Support for the New Dancers Program for local 4th graders.
  • *Looking Upwards: Aquidneck Island Day Camp for underserved youth ages 5 through 14.
  • Melville Elementary School: Benefiting the SkatePass program and its innovative skateboarding curriculum.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center: Weekly Movement and Mindfulness yoga classes.
  • Newport Boxfit: Boxing for Bright Futures fitness and health program.
  • Newport County YMCA: Support for initiatives that include a youth triathlon program, afterschool squash, and a 12-week physical fitness and social interaction program for children at-risk of obesity.
  • Newport Gulls: Funding for one-day ‘Pop-Up Clinics” for boys and girls to learn baseball from Gulls players and coaches.
  • Newport Recreation: First Tee Golf Program summer camp for kids in grades K-8.
  • *Newport String Project: Support for the 2-week Play Out with Strings outdoor workshop program.
  • *Newport Tree Conservatory: Forest Walking Club, bringing Pell Elementary students to Miantonomi Park for fitness and naturalist learning.
  • Norman Bird Sanctuary: Outdoor exploration through hiking and discovery.
  • *Revka Hovermale: A combination of movement/dance and mindfulness for students in grades 2-4.
  • Sail Newport: In partnership with the MLK Center, a no-cost introduction to sailing for summer camp participants ages 8-12.
  • Sail to Prevail: Support for the Adaptive Sailing Program for children with disabilities. 
  • Star Kids: Providing access to summer camp and outdoor activities for 75 low-income youth.
  • *Strategic Prevention Partnerships: A 10-month golf program for underserved Aquidneck Island children.

*First-time grantee.

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