The Links Foundation, Incorporated to Donate $25,000 to Philadelphia’s Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse

November 4, 2021 (Washington, DC)— In honor of The Links, Incorporated’s 75^th anniversary, its philanthropic arm, The Links Foundation, Incorporated, is donating $25,000 to the Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This play space for children holds significance in The Links’ rich legacy, for in 1947 it was the sight of the organization’s founding chapter’s first service project—a picnic for children in the local community. The chapter has continued its support of this facility through the years, most recently during the campaign to renovate the iconic 44-foot Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide.

“We can’t talk about our illustrious history without talking about this historic playground that has welcomed hundreds of thousands of youngsters and their families annually,” said Links National President Kimberly Jeffries Leonard. “We are proud of our continued support of this treasure in the city of Brotherly Love and it is our hope that this wonderful playground can serve generations to come.”

“Smith has been a vital resource to the community for over 120 years, and The Links Foundation’s generous gift will play a significant role in helping us ensure that the children of our city become healthy, happy, and resilient adults,” noted Smith Memorial Playground’s Executive Director Frances Hoover. “We are very honored to be associated with the history of this important organization, and we appreciate their role as an ally and supporter of Smith.“

This donation further demonstrates The Links’ commitment to serving children. Through its Services to Youth facet, the organization implements transformational programs that are responsive to the academic, cultural, career-development, and mentoring needs of youth. The facet is just one of five programmatic thrusts. The four others are The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services. Annually, The Links impact the lives of millions of children.

The gift will be presented to Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse’s Executive Director Francis Hoover on Sunday, November 7, 2021, as part of The Link’s 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee, which is proudly sponsored by M Financial Group, AARP, AT&T, FedEx, Cadillac, Ochsner Health, Target, WK Kellogg Foundation, American Cancer Society, Anthem Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Georgia Pacific, Dove, and Crown Media.

About The Links Foundation, Incorporated

Since 1979 The Links Foundation, Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) corporation, has donated more than $27 million to noteworthy charitable causes that impact lives and change communities for the better. Grants of scale support projects or institutions that are of regional, national, and/or international significance. The Foundation’s $1 million Legacy Grant recipients include the United Negro College Fund; the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; The National Civil Rights Museum; the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC); St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and the Obama Presidential Center.

About The Links, Incorporated

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. For more information, visit www.linksinc.org.