The La Crosse School District will get a new synthetic turf football field at Logan High School's Swanson Field Football Stadium, thanks in part to a $200,000 grant from the Green Bay Packers through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program.
The grant from the Packers, the NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to the La Crosse School District is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated nationwide this year. The new athletic field will be used by multiple high school athletic teams and community sports organizations in La Crosse.
This is the 14th grant secured by the Packers since 1998 for Wisconsin organizations working on new or renovated athletic fields and stadiums, with the cumulative total now at $1,910,000.
The NFL Foundation/LISC Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation's leading community development support organization, has committed nearly $40 million to the program since 1998, supporting the creation or refurbishment of 306 fields 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.
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.
"Community football fields are more than just places to play," said Michael Rubinger, LISC's president and CEO. "They're places that promote fitness, good health, community spirit and teamwork. No neighborhood is complete without one. The NFL Foundation has been a great partner in creating these essential community assets."
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 which support our game. For more information on The NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.
About LISC
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $14.7 billion to build or rehab more than 330,000 affordable homes and develop 53 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged nearly $44.1 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
