Tom Brady donation to benefit youth programs on Boston’s Esplanade, his former “backyard”

BOSTON – New England Patriots legend Tom Brady made a donation to benefit the area he calls his former backyard. The donation will help expand free youth programming and year-round recreation on Boston’s Charles River Esplanade.

Starting this year, the Esplanade Association will rename its free youth activities as the Tom Brady Family Youth Programs. 

“I’m very grateful to the Esplanade Association, which does an incredible job to make this park a vibrant greenspace,” Brady said in a statement. “This park was so special to me. It was my backyard for years when I lived in the Back Bay. It’s where I first pushed my kids on a swing.”  

What will Tom Brady’s donation go to?

The Tom Brady Family Youth Programs include Children in the Park, which connects groups like the Massachusetts Audubon Society with local summer camps for outdoor activities on the river. It will also include Music and Movement, where the Boston Music Project helps younger children discover music and motion at the Esplanade’s playgrounds.

“As a big fan of Tom Brady, it’s an honor to announce that his name will prompt so many more people to explore, play, and make memories on the Esplanade,” said Jen Mergel, the Esplanade Association’s James and Audrey Foster executive director in a statement.  

Former Patriots helping improve the Esplanade

Brady’s donation will also benefit the Charlesbank Landing, an indoor-outdoor facility that will provide year-round recreation on the Esplanade. The Esplanade Association said a groundbreaking will take place for the building later this year. The building is expected to be completed in late 2025.

“We are thrilled that our current and future free youth activities will now be offered as the Tom Brady Family Youth Programs, and that kids of all ages will soon be able to meet at a new park destination he is supporting, Charlesbank Landing, for a diverse range of year-round programs,” said Mergel in a statement.

Brady’s former teammate Rob Gronkowski’s Gronk Nation Youth Foundation donated $1.2 million in 2021 that will go toward renovating what is the current Charlesbank Playground. The renovated “Gronk Playground,” located along the Charles River Esplanade, will open in 2025.