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Diago McClain of PIF (Pay-It-Forward) Receives Award

by on May 18, 2017 with No Comments

WORCESTER – A local basketball coach and community leader received an award at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s annual meeting Wednesday.

T. Diago McClain, founder and CEO of Worcester Pay It Forward, received the grant-making institution’s 13th annual Renaissance Award, which recognizes the organization’s nonprofit leader of the year.

 Mr. McClain grew up in Worcester and attended Holy Name High School, where he now coaches basketball three nights a week. In the last eight years, Mr. McClain has transformed the lives of more than 3,500 Worcester area youth ages 4 to 18 through mentoring, coaching, and leadership provided by Worcester Pay it Forward. The organization is dedicated to the development of young boys and girls through the game of basketball. Its mission is to teach them life skills and positive values through athletics, in order for those children to maximize their individual and educational potential, according to the GWCF.

In partnership with Holy Name, Mr. McClain and Worcester Pay it Forward provide a variety of programs including the “Tiny Tots” basketball, the “Rise Against Bullying” summer basketball league, school vacation camps, travel basketball and WSUP Peer Mentoring. Under Mr. McClain’s guidance, many program graduates have gone on to pursue higher education at colleges and universities including Clark University, Newbury College, Worcester State University, Assumption College, Boston College, Assumption College, Salem State University, and Quinsigamond Community College.

 According to the GWCF, the Renaissance Award was established as an endowed prize through a gift by the late John W. Lund to show the community’s appreciation to those who serve in nonprofit roles. The award comes with a $5,000 cash prize. The award is given to an individual, not an agency, and is intended to be used for personal renewal. Selection is based on a record of dedicated commitment to the nonprofit sector, professional accomplishments, and talent in fostering collaborative relationships.

The annual meeting also publicly released the foundation’s financial reporting for 2016. Total assets exceeded $139.2 million, and were comprised of permanent charitable endowments that are available for local grantmaking; the foundation awarded $6.6 million in grants and scholarships and received more than $5 million in contributions. A complete annual report can be found at greaterworcester.org.