Under the auspices of the Parks & People Foundation, a fund was established by Ella and the authors of "The Corner," David Simon and Edward Burns, to help support the programs in which Ella believed. With initial donations of speaker fees from "The Corner" book tour and personal contributions from many who were touched by Ella and believed in her work, the Ella Thompson Fund has since received the support of HBO and Blown Deadline Productions, the partnership that produced "The Corner" miniseries and current HBO drama "The Wire." Through the support of the Fund and other benefactors, the KidsGrow Program continues.


Ella Thompson loved the children of Baltimore and expressed her faith in them every day. She believed that one person can make a difference, and she proved that by example. The Fund will continue to support programs that honor Ella's commitment to the children of Baltimore.

The KidsGrow Program was one of Ella's favorite Parks and People offerings, and the fund continued to support it today. Learn more about the program at the National Recreation and Park Association site, which features an article about this great program, or learn more at the Parks and People KidsGrow Page.