Mardela High School Student-Athlete Awards Challenger Little League Grant Through Gatorade

8/14/2026 9:32:32 AM

Gatorade Maryland softball Player of the Year, Ava Twilley, awarded Challenger Little League with a $1,000 grant to support Wicomico County’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges.

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. As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner of their choice.

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

All 610 Gatorade State Player of the Year recipients are awarded a grant to donate to a social impact partner of their choice. 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 $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.

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