Emmy-winning sports journalist Taylor Rooks is expanding her impact beyond the media world with the launch of a foundation named in her honor.
On July 11, Rooks announced the Taylor Rooks Foundation (TRF), dedicated to supporting underrepresented communities through funding, community engagement, and providing meaningful opportunities, according to Sports Illustrated. Backed by the Players Philanthropy Fund Inc., the foundation finds ways to amplify underrepresented voices by addressing often-overlooked needs through purpose-driven action.
“I believe
that equity starts with access-access to care, to confidence, to opportunity,” Rooks said in a statement. “My work is rooted in trust, community, and the radical idea that a single act of support can rewrite someone’s story.”Ahead of its unveiling, TRF kicked off its good deeds last month by making a donation to the Lower East Side Girls Club, where Rooks spent time connecting with the girls through games of jump rope and hula hoop.
“Funding from the Taylor Rooks Foundation supports the Lower East Side Girls Club’s free innovative programming and vital services offered to female-identified and gender-expansive youth, their families, and the broader Lower East Side community in NYC,” a LES Girls Club representative said in a statement. “The Foundation’s generous contribution helps further our mission of creating joy, power, and possibility at a critical moment when the need is more urgent than ever.”
Next, the foundation is turning its focus to supporting educators by donating to Teachers’ Supplies for Success, which helps provide essential classroom supplies and equipment. The initiative addresses a critical need, as many American teachers face financial strain trying to stock their classrooms, often spending between $500 and $750 out of pocket each year, with some investing even more.
“The mission behind TRF means a lot to me, and the steps ahead are just as important as our first,” Rooks wrote
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