The Eisenhower Middle School field, 2901 N. 72nd St., Kansas City, Kansas, has been chosen as the recipient of a $250,000 grant from the Kansas City Chiefs through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program, and also through the Local Initiatives Support Corp.
Nationally, the NFL Foundation is giving $6 million in field refurbishment awards this year. According to a spokesman, 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, has been involved with the construction and renovation of 416 football fields nationwide since 1998.
During that time, the NFL Foundation has given almost $58 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods, according to a spokesman. Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements such as irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts nad 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,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in a news release. “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,” said Geoff Jolley, LISC Greater Kansas City executive director. “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.”
Eisenhower School, in the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools district, was the only school in the Greater Kansas City area that will receive a grant through this program this year, according to Abigail Hayo, assistant program officer with LISC. They are not sure yet of the completion date for the new football turf field .