January 3, 2005
NFL AND CLEVELAND BROWNS COMMIT $200,000 GRANT TO RENOVATE BUMP TAYLOR FIELD
Award is part of $2.5 million in new grants to fields nationwide
Cleveland, Ohio - Bump Taylor Field will have its natural grass field upgraded to a new synthetic playing surface as part of a major renovation, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The grant, announced today by the NFL, NFL Players Association (NFLPA), LISC and the Cleveland Browns, is part of $12.5 million in grants that have been awarded since 1998 to revitalize 116 playing fields in underserved neighborhoods located in NFL markets nationwide.
“The new turf will be a tangible sign of our Youth Football Fund in action,” said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. “The Youth Football Fund supports all aspects of youth football, from participation, to coaching, to improving the availability of playing fields.”
In addition to the new playing surface at Bump Taylor Field, new goal posts will be installed as well as a new sign identifying the site. These improvements will benefit the 2,000 youth participating in the Cleveland Municipal Football League.
The grant is being administered by ParkWorks, a nonprofit focused on building community through the revitalization of parks, green spaces and recreational opportunities.
The NFL Grassroots Program is part of the NFL Youth Football Fund, a $150 million fund established by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to support youth football initiatives in numerous ways.
LISC, a national community development organization, identifies nonprofit, neighborhood-based agencies which have an interest in refurbishing or building fields in underserved communities, and through the Grassroots Program, provides financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields in their local schools, parks and neighborhoods. The local agencies then oversee the construction, maintenance and programming of the fields.
“For the past seven years, the NFL and NFLPA have worked with LISC to provide safe, attractive places to play for kids in disadvantaged neighborhoods across the country,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC’s president and CEO. “We are pleased to be a part of this effort which helps to move community-based development beyond housing to include recreation, health care, education, safe streets programs and economic development initiatives.”
Other communities receiving NFL awards during this funding round are: Brookline, MA; Buffalo; Chicago; Detroit; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, FL; Nashville; Queens, NY; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Petersburg, FL; Trenton, NJ; and Washington, DC.
Football fields will be built or significantly renovated with such improvements as the installation of new irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards and goal posts.
“The NFL and NFL Players Association are proud to assist communities where young people aspire to play football,” said Gene Upshaw, executive director of NFLPA. “This program allows us to make an immediate impact in neighborhoods where assistance is most needed.”
Contact:
Danny Perry, (LISC)
212-455-9312, or dperry@lisc.org
Adina
Ellis (NFL) 212-450-2435, or adina.ellis@nfl.com
Carl Francis
(NFLPA) (202) 463-2216