Every year during the holiday season, we hold an annual Boxing for a Cause competition via Downtown Huntsville's Tinsel Trail where select 3 nonprofits to compete in a voting contest for a grand prize.
However, this year, we skipped the competition aspect and went straight to the donations! Our team voted internally on a handful of local nonprofits to receive a monetary donation and a Tinsel Trail tree to decorate and the final three winners were Huntsville Youth Orchestra, Girls Inc. of Huntsville, and Huntsville STEAM Works.
The Huntsville Youth Orchestra is a local organization dedicated to providing youth with a fun musical experience that consists of benefits and rewards that will last a lifetime. They offer 6 levels of orchestra to student ages 6-18 and their concerts are free to attend. They are currently celebrating their 59th anniversary this year!
Justin says, "As a father of two kids that light up every time they hear music, the arts have become very important to me. I hope this contribution can help Huntsville Youth Orchestra further develop the next generation of musicians."
Girls Inc. of Huntsville is a local chapter of a nationwide nonprofit that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, through direct service and advocacy. They provide long-lasting mentoring relationships and research-based programming in a pro-girl environment to equip girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. They are currently celebrating their 47th anniversary this year!
Michelle really appreciates what Girls Inc. of Huntsville does for our community. She says, "They are helping build future leaders out of these girls. They are helping them overcome something that all of us as women tend to do ourselves which is to be our worst critic. They are helping these girls to learn to believe in themselves. They are teaching them to build character and leadership skills within the community and within themselves."
Huntsville STEAM Works is a nonprofit focused on education through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for all ages. They support a community makerspace located within Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment Center, and provide support services and programs to schools, students, teachers, and community members throughout North Alabama.
Jacob says, "I think it's cool that they offer educational STEAM classes for both adults and kids. They teach everything from woodworking to robotics and everything in between, so be sure to check them out!"
All three of these local nonprofits are doing great things for our community. We encourage you to give back to them during this season of giving. They also did a great job decorating their trees so be sure to go down to the Tinsel Trail and check them out alongside the other amazing trees!