FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wendy Landman, WalkBoston, 617-367-9255, [email protected] Contact: Julie DeSilva, Cummings Foundation, 781-932-7093, [email protected]

WalkBoston awarded $100,000 Boston nonprofit receives Cummings Foundation grant

Boston, May 26, 2017 – WalkBoston is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. The Boston-based organization was chosen from a total of 549 applicants, during a competitive review process.

WalkBoston is a non-profit pedestrian advocacy organization dedicated to improving walking conditions in cities and towns across Massachusetts.

Representing WalkBoston, Wendy Landman, Executive Director, and Stacey Beuttell, Deputy Executive Director, will join approximately 300 other guests at a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $170 million to local nonprofits alone.

“This wonderful grant will enable us to work with community based organizations to help them create safer pedestrian environments in communities supported by the Cummings Foundation,” said Wendy Landman.

WalkBoston will use these funds to train and empower residents to be change agents for safe streets.

The $100K for 100 program supports nonprofits that are not only based in but also primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program is benefiting 35 different cities and towns within the Commonwealth.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages more than 10 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“Nonprofit organizations like WalkBoston are vital to the local communities where our colleagues and clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are delighted to invest in their efforts.”

This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention and affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years.

The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

About WalkBoston WalkBoston was founded in 1990, becoming the first organization in America dedicated to pedestrian advocacy. We strive to bring walking and pedestrian needs into the transportation discussion, collaborating closely with other advocacy, community and civic/educational groups. WalkBoston makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment and more vibrant communities. For more information, visit www.walkboston.org.

About Cummings Foundation Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester. With assets exceeding $1.4 billion, it is one of the largest foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including two New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date was $50 million to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.