Award is Part of More than $3 Million in New Grants to Athletic Fields Nationwide
March 6, 2018
A new synthetic turf field will be installed at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta – Bellwood Club in the English Avenue neighborhood, thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the Atlanta Falcons through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program.
The grant from the Falcons, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of more than $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
The NFL Foundation/LISC Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation’s leading community development support organization, has committed nearly $46 million to the program since 1998, supporting 336 projects nationwide. Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements including irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts and turf. Grassroots grants are issued once established funding thresholds are reached for each project.
“For the past four years, our club and the entire Blank Family of Businesses have invested in the people and communities of Atlanta’s historic Westside neighborhoods; some of the most underserved in our city,” stated Rich McKay, President and CEO, Atlanta Falcons. “The NFL Grassroots Field does more for the youth living in these neighborhoods than just constructing a field – it allows them to dream bigger, commit to each other, and build a better future for themselves and their families.”
LISC identifies local, nonprofit, community-based agencies that have an interest in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and neighborhood parks. Through the program, local agencies are provided with the necessary financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields in their communities. The agencies oversee the construction, maintenance and programming of the fields.
“Every community needs safe recreation spaces for children to play and families to enjoy the outdoors together,” said Beverly Smith, Senior Program Director of LISC’s Sports & Recreation program. “We’re so proud to partner with the Atlanta Falcons on this project and of our 20-year history with the NFL Foundation in providing access to healthy recreation spaces across the country.”
# # #
About the NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on The NFL Foundation, visit: NFLFoundation.org.
About LISC
With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America- great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1980, LISC has invested $20 billion to build or rehab 376,000 affordable homes and apartments and develop 63,000 square feet of retail, community and educational space- including athletic facilities and other recreational space. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
