(Thursday, January 9, 2020) – The Tempe Union High School District has been granted $250,000 by the Arizona Cardinals through the National Football League (NFL) Foundation Grassroots Program to install a synthetic turf football field at Tempe High School.
The grant from the Cardinals, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of the second round of $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
The district will transform the existing grass field at Tempe High School into a synthetic surfaced, regulation high school field. It’s the first field upgrade in more than 30 years.
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 376 football fields nationwide since 1998. During that time, the NFL Foundation has granted nearly $61 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.
“We recognize the important role that football and all sports play in the development of young people and are proud to assist with this field installation,” said Arizona Cardinals Chairman & President MICHAEL BIDWILL. “It’s exciting to think about how it will impact the Tempe community and produce memories for students and their families that will last a lifetime.”
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.
“The football field at Tempe’s flagship high school is more than just a recreation area,” said TERRY BENELLI, LISC Phoenix Executive Director. “It’s a place where students develop a sense of belonging and generations of families have come together to cheer on their youth. We’re excited to invest in this community asset and know it will be well used for years to come.”
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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 and safety 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 equips struggling communities with the capital, program strategy and know-how to become places where people can thrive. It combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources. Since 1980, LISC has invested $20 billion to build or rehab 400,500 affordable homes and apartments and develop 67 million square feet of retail, community and educational space—including athletic facilities and other recreational space. For more, visit www.lisc.org