The King County Youth Sports Facilities Grant program has awarded two Auburn projects.

Auburn Parks will receive $75,000 for the Brannan Park free game court, and the Auburn School District will be given $35,347 to support the Lea Hill Elementary playground.

Funded by a car-rental tax, the King County program employs equity as a criteria in funding projects in traditionally underserved neighborhoods

Executive Dow Constantine announced Friday the recipients of the program’s matching grants totaling $837,880.

“Whether it’s building a ballfield in Auburn, or a mountain-bike park in Skykomish, these grants can make the difference in creating places where kids can play in their own neighborhood,” Constantine said. “The geographic diversity of these grants helps ensure equity and opportunity for all in King County.”

The program will leverage an additional $2.6 million for local parks and recreation projects through agreements with cities, schools and local community groups.

The grants, some as large as $75,000, must be matched by local community organizations, and are administered by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

The program is funded and sustained through a one-fourth of 1 percent car-rental tax authorized by the Legislature in 1993. Funds can only be used for developing and constructing facilities, not for costs of maintenance or operations.

King County has awarded $14 million in grants since the program’s inception, creating more than 340 new or renovated youth sports facilities throughout the county.