AFL Foundation Gives $1M to Fund New Family Center

When AFL decided to launch its first charitable foundation, the company knew exactly where its inaugural million-dollar gift should go.

The AFL Foundation announced it's giving $1 million to Middle Tyger Community Center to help build a new 42,000-square-foot family services and childcare center in Duncan. The facility is set to open its doors in August 2026.

"Given everything Middle Tyger Community Center has meant to this community over the past 20 years, it only seemed fitting they would receive our inaugural gift," said Grant Burns, chair of the AFL Foundation and executive vice president of AFL. The fiber optic manufacturing company has its headquarters in Duncan.

This isn't a new relationship. AFL has supported the community center since 2011, providing 33 grants and sponsorships worth more than $277,000. Their first grant helped fund counseling services for local families.

The Ripple Effect

The new center will expand services that hundreds of families in Duncan rely on every day. When it opens in 2026, parents will have access to affordable childcare while their children receive support services under one roof.

Burns emphasized that the foundation's mission goes beyond writing checks. "Our partnership has always been about more than grants and sponsorships; it's about showing up for families who need support," he said. The foundation will focus on helping children and families in communities where AFL employees live and work.

For a community center that's spent two decades serving families, this gift represents more than construction funding. It's validation that consistent, compassionate work creates lasting change.

The new facility will be four times larger than many typical community centers, creating space for comprehensive family support services that previously operated in separate locations or not at all.

When the doors open in August 2026, Duncan families will walk into a space built on 20 years of trust and a company's commitment to invest where it matters most.