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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2024
Metro Boomin, Rung for Women support five nonprofits Globally-renowned music producer Leland Tyler Wayne, who grew up in St. Louis and is known professionally as Metro Boomin, and leaders of Rung for Women presented checks totaling $100,000 to five local nonprofits on May 20. The funds will benefit recipients’ ongoing work to improve the lives of women and children in the St. Louis area. “I’ve seen firsthand the work that goes into being a single mother. Mine was my inspiration and my hero,” said Wayne. “It’s very important to me to pay it forward, because I see the same resilience and dedication in the women these organizations work with.” The organizations receiving $20,000 are Almost Home, Diamond Diva Empowerment Foundation, The Haven of Grace, The Little Bit
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Artist and producer Metro Boomin threw a ceremonial first pitch before the St. Louis Cardinals game against the Baltimore Orioles at Busch Stadium on Monday, May 20, 2024. He also partnered with Rung for Women to present $100,000 to five nonprofit organizations earlier that day.
Foundation, and Parents as Teachers. Each grant will go directly to individual women, helping make their lives a little easier by reducing debt and/or paying expenses such as childcare, rent, and utilities. “We are excited to partner with Metro Boomin in his work to lift up single mothers in St. Louis,” said Leslie Gill, President of Rung. “Inspired by the remarkable love he has for his late mother, he is demonstrating a commitment to women and to our community.” The funds were raised during the Leslie Joanne Soirée holiday event Metro held at Rung for Women in December. He hosted Metro Boomin Theme Night during the May 20 St. Louis Cardinals game that included a performance. A portion of ticket sales were donated to Rung.
Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American
CITY SC making economic impact in St. Louis region An economic impact study conducted by St. Louis-based PGAV, commissioned by CITY SC and Greater St. Louis, Inc., shows the MLS franchise generated more than $168 million in economic impact for the St. Louis region during the 2023
season. The study also found the construction of CITYPARK and its 32-acre campus created an additional $1.4 billion in economic impact since 2020. The direct cost of the privately-owned stadium campus – which includes
the stadium, team training facility and practice fields, team store, parking garage, and corporate headquarters – was $667 million. The overall impact includes approximately $122 million in incremental tax revenue, including $33 million
in local and state tax revenue, and $15 million in infrastructure upgrades to lighting, sidewalks, bike paths and streets in the surrounding area. “Downtowns are changing. They aren’t just business districts, or even residential neighborhoods.
Downtowns connect people together – through sports, civic monuments, entertainment districts, and events as well as businesses and residents,” said Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis CITY SC CEO and ownership group member. “CITY SC plays an
important role in bringing people together through the power of sports, but we are only part of a larger evolution for our downtown area, one that we hope brings more vision, investment and more people to our region.”