The New England Patriots Foundation has awarded Burlington’s King Street Center $10,000 in honor of Cathy Seward, a longtime volunteer at the nonprofit that serves kids from low-income and marginalized families.
Seward, of South Burlington, was one of 26 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award winners honored at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Tuesday. The awards, presented since 1998, recognize volunteers “for going above and beyond to give back to their communities,” according to a press release announcing the winners. They are named for the late wife of Patriots CEO and chairman, Robert Kraft, who started the foundation.
“Throughout New England, extraordinary individuals are strengthening their communities through selfless acts of service,” Kraft said in the press release. “My late wife, Myra … believed that each of us has a responsibility to help others and leave our communities better than we found them. This year’s honorees embody that spirit through their compassion, generosity and unwavering commitment to those they serve.”
Seward, a former diving coach at the University of Vermont and Saint Michael’s College, is the sole 2026 winner from Vermont. She has volunteered at King Street Center since 2009.
“Cathy has been the kind of volunteer every community hopes for — someone who shows up consistently, builds genuine relationships, and always asks where she can be most helpful,” King Street Center executive director Shabman Nolan told Seven Days in a written statement. “Her impact at King Street Center extends far beyond the hours she has spent tutoring and mentoring. It can be seen in the young people she has supported from childhood into adulthood and in the confidence, skills, and sense of possibility she has helped them build along the way.”
Seward began as a “book buddy.” She and her youngest son signed up for the center’s literacy program that pairs volunteers with students in kindergarten through fifth grade to read and play educational games. “We found the experience so rewarding that we signed up for the fall, winter, and spring sessions,” Seward told Seven Days in a written statement. “I am a former school teacher with a master’s degree in teaching reading and a mother of three boys. I quickly realized King Street Center is a place where I can use my knowledge and experiences to help children in Vermont improve their reading and writing skills.”
After tutoring for a few years, she also became a mentor. Seward’s first mentee has now graduated from high school, and she is mentoring a second child.
The 55-year-old King Street Center serves children ages 18 months to 18 years with early education, after-school care, camps, mentoring and career exploration. In 2024, it added a family support program and now serves more than 450 people each year.
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