$250,000 to Eisenhower Middle School for Artificial Turf Field
NFL / LISC GRASSROOTS PROGRAM AND THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS GRANT $250,000 TO INSTALL ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD AT EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL
Award is part of $6 million in new grants to athletic fields nationwide
January 27, 2022 – Kansas City Kansas Public Schools has been granted $250,000 by the Kansas City Chiefs through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program to install an artificial turf field at Eisenhower Middle School.
The grant from the Chiefs, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of $6 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year. The field will provide a safe playing surface for more than 2,200 young people and adults.
The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program – a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation’s leading community development support organization – has supported the construction or renovation of 416 football fields nationwide since 1998. During that time, the NFL Foundation has granted nearly $58 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods. Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements such as irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts and turf. Grassroots grants are issued once established funding thresholds are reached for each project.
The Chiefs and the National Football League remain committed to sharing and growing the game of football – especially youth football – throughout the greater Kansas City region. We have remarkable relationships with the NFL Foundation and LISC Greater Kansas City and as a result of another generous Grassroots grant, students at Eisenhower Middle School and Kansas City, Kansas community members will have access to this new artificial turf field which will serve students and neighbors for many years to come.
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.
We are honored to continue our partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Foundation to build vibrant, healthy, equitable communities throughout our region. The Hunt family, members of the Chiefs organization, and their players are dedicated to reinvesting in our neighborhoods and youth. They are champions on and off the field.
About the NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit 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 and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org
About LISC
LISC is one the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient, and inclusive communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and local economies can thrive. Since our founding, LISC has invested $24 billion to create more than 436,320 affordable homes and apartments, and develop 74.4 million square feet of retail, community and educational space. For more information on LISC, visit www.lisc.org or www.lisc.org/kansas-city.
Contact: Chuck Castellano, Chiefs
ccastellano@chiefs.nfl.com
Abigail Hayo, LISC Greater Kansas City
ahayo@lisc.org