A $2,700 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health awarded to Austin’s Gerard Academy gives its residents more reasons to go outside and play.

According to a news release from the academy, Elaine Hansen, senior development coordinator, applied for the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership grant to get outdoor recreation equipment:  bike helmets, footballs, basketballs, bean bag toss games, softball gloves, bats, volleyballs and more for the youth in Gerard’s residential program.

To store all of this new equipment, Gerard Academy received support from Home Depot to go toward shelving.

Gerard Academy is a nonprofit organization that provides residential services for youth, ages 6-18, and outpatient therapy services for children, teens and adults. To learn more about Gerard Academy or to make a donation that helps area youth, visit https://www.nexus-yfs.org.