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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Soccer at the YMCA of Chilton County is getting a helping hand toward better fields from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama’s The Caring Foundation.

“We applied for and received a grant from The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama,” YMCA of Chilton County director Lori Patterson said. “We applied for the grant for our soccer field renovation.”

In the notification to the Y about receiving the funds, The Caring Foundation stated that “they were pleased to support” the efforts of the program.

Tim King, manger of The Caring Foundation and corporate giving for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, said the Foundation’s grant program supports “health, wellness and education issues in the state of Alabama.”

“This was just something that we saw as a good fit for the community improving the community’s health and wellness,” King said. “We support other Y organizations throughout the state, and they do a great job here. We are just happy to support them.”

Applications to the grant program are accepting year round. However, those who receive a grant are asked to wait a year before applying again.

“There are a lot of people doing good things across the state of Alabama, trying to encourage people to be healthy and well,” King said.

The Caring Foundation has a separate grant program specifically for schools serving students in kindergarten through fifth in February of each year.