The Green Bay Packers and the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program have awarded a $250,000 grant to the St. Francis Public School District in suburban Milwaukee to install a synthetic turf field at St. Francis High School. An additional $50,000 has been awarded to Fox Valley Pop Warner Football, Inc. to fund field improvements at the Challenger Accessible Football Field at Plamann Park in Appleton, Wis.
"We are proud to award these grants in partnership with the NFL Foundation and LISC," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Enhancing local athletic facilities provides great value for entire communities, offering countless opportunities for athletes and sports fans of all ages and ability levels to come together and enjoy the benefits of team activities."
The grant awarded to the St. Francis Public School District supports stadium improvements and the installation of a synthetic turf field. In addition to the $250,000 grant from the NFL Foundation, the district has secured more than $700,000 through a referendum and fundraising initiatives to complete the project. Several groups will utilize the facility, including St. Francis High School, St. Thomas More High School, community soccer clubs and youth and adults involved in St. Francis Department of Recreation programming.
Fox Valley Pop Warner's Challenger League offers a flag football program for children with disabilities in second grade through high school. The Packers previously awarded the nonprofit organization a grant to build the Challenger Accessible Football Field, the first ADA-compliant football field in Wisconsin. The latest grant will be used for continued improvements.
These grants are supported by the NFL Foundation's LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program. For 25 years, the NFL and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have partnered to help youth stay active and healthy by creating safe places to play through the development of community football fields. Since the program's inception, nearly $65 million has been distributed to community organizations and schools across the country, resulting in the creation or refurbishment of 437 football fields nationwide. This year, more than $3 million has been awarded to help fund and refurbish football fields in 15 cities and towns across the country, including the fields in St. Francis and Appleton.
Through the Grassroots Field Grant Program, LISC identifies local nonprofit and community-based organizations interested in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and neighborhood parks. Through the program, the local agencies are provided with the necessary financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields in their communities. Grassroots grants are issued once established funding thresholds are reached for each project. The local agencies oversee the construction, maintenance, and programming of the fields.
About 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. Over the past 50 years, the NFL Foundation has become one of the leading philanthropic entities in America, contributing to NFL team communities, national and international disaster relief efforts, and societal issues. 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 communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $32 billion to create more than 506,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 82.5 million square feet of retail, community and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
