New Canaan, CT (October 20, 2023) – The Gridiron Club of New Canaan recently awarded the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) with a generous donation of $12,500, proceeds from Gridiron’s annual show. This year’s April 2023 event recognized the first woman “Fall Guy” – Tucker Murphy – for her outstanding example and many years of community service to New Canaan. Murphy selected NCCF as the beneficiary based on the organization’s broad reach and support of local organizations focused on health, human services, and education.
Murphy has also been an active volunteer with NCCF for many years. “Tucker is a true partner. She is smart and involved when this community needs her, and we’re so grateful that she likewise sees us as a partner to support good works,” commented Lauren Patterson, President & CEO of the Foundation.
The Foundation granted over $2 million in its most recent year, including more than $700,000 through an annual competitive grant process that invests in local nonprofits. NCCF’s grants are designed to support high-quality and impactful programs and initiatives that make a positive difference in the community. These grantmaking decisions are guided by the input of nearly 100 community volunteers each year and are based on the needs and interests of New Canaan and its surrounding communities.
The Gridiron Club exists solely to celebrate community service, “and we do it in a creative way”, explains Scott Hobbs, President, “by putting on an original musical each year, showcasing one person’s years of service while also enjoying some good-natured fun roasting the Fall Guy”. Murphy was “honored and humbled, and I laughed all the way through” the evening’s performance, produced and directed by Bob Doran and Eric Thunem. Gridiron Treasurer Tracey Karl noted, “we were thrilled to raise a lot of money for a great organization.”
