BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — At the Kevin Keane Sports Park in North Buffalo, you will find a local organization called 716 Squash that uses the very unique and rare sport of squash, but also an emphasis on academics, to empower the youth in our community.
"716 Squash is a long-term and intensive youth development organization. We work with a small group of kids starting in 4th and 5th grade with the goal of working with those same kids all through middle school, high school, college and their careers," 716 Squash executive director Hope Lynch tells 7 News.
More importantly, 716 Squash provides inclusion to kids who wouldn’t have these kinds of opportunities without its existence.
“Most of our students are coming from under-resourced neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo," adds Lynch. "They’ll be the first in their family to go to college if they choose to do so. We also have about 40% of our kids coming from refugee or immigrant parents.”
That’s where we introduce you to Teresa Kyaw and Dawit Yemane. Both came to Buffalo as refugees but used 716 Squash's resources to earn scholarships to some of the best private schools in the area where they can start to change the narrative about how people view refugees like them.
“I don’t come from a wealthy family and I’m also a refugee so we don't have the most money," Kyaw says. "And I got to Buffalo Seminary which is a private school and it costs a lot so I was like 'oh my god how am I going to pay for this?' So coach Hope (Lynch) was like why don’t you apply for scholarships and I was like 'what scholarships?' And she found the Oishei scholarship for me and then I got the scholarship which is a full-ride so now I’m going to Buffalo Seminary without having to pay the tuition.”
“It changed my life for sure. It was exciting for my family too, knowing they helped change my life around," Dawit added.
Squash is a sport that is predominantly associated with country clubs, Ivy League schools and wealth.
But inside the walls of the Kevin Keane Sports Park, it’s the opposite. It's an inclusive outlet for the underrepresented youth in our community to better their lives, one day at a time.
716 Squash is holding its 6th annual fundraiser called "The Rally for 716 Squash" on April 27th at the Kevin T. Keane Sports Park. For more information click here.
