FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2001

Contact:
Brian McCarthy, NFL
Meghan Powers, NFL
Super Bowl
In Tampa: 813-275-5433
powersm@nfl.com

As part of its NFL Community Football Fields initiative, the NFL is donating more than $2 million to build or renovate 22 community football fields in 20 cities in 2001 NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced today. This follows last year’s commitment of more than $1.5 million to rebuild 18 fields bringing the total to nearly $4.8 million and 56 fields over the past three years.

The NFL has committed $2,080,000 to the program this year. Fields will be rebuilt in Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, East St. Louis (IL), Goulds (FL), Jacksonville, Kansas City (MO), La Mesa (CA), Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Richmond (CA), Spartanburg (SC), Tacoma, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

In the Tampa area, host of Super Bowl XXXV, the Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association (TTYSA) will renovate fields at Old Thonotosassa Park to create a new home field for its grassroots youth sports organization. With a $100,000 grant from the NFL, TTSYA will renovate a practice and game field, install game lights, and build a grandstand and press box in time for the opening day of the fall 2001 season.

The Community Football Fields initiative is a joint venture between the NFL and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The initiative provides non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations with financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of local football fields in schools and parks. This program is part of the NFL Youth Football Fund, a $100 million fund established by the NFL and NFL Players Association to support youth football initiatives in various ways.

"These fields are a tangible sign of our Youth Football Fund in action. The Youth Football Fund supports all aspects of youth football from participation to coaching and from fields to the Internet," said Commissioner Tagliabue.

The NFL and LISC identify local non-profit agencies in each city which oversee the construction, maintenance, and programming of the fields.

"Community-based development has gone far beyond housing to include health care, education, safe streets programs, economic development initiatives and now, thanks to the NFL, the creation of top grade football fields in many of our nation’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods," said Michael Rubinger, LISC’s president and CEO.

In its first two years, this program enabled the construction or renovation of 34 fields in 28 cities across the country. The NFL’s original $2.7 million investment was also matched by more than $12.7 million from private and public sources in the local communities that was mobilized by LISC. This year’s $2,080,000 commitment will be similarly matched by local sources as part of the program’s requirements for community support and sustainability.

** A COMPLETE LIST OF FIELDS IS ATTACHED **

NFL and LISC Field Grants 2001

Buffalo, New York

Broadway-Fillmore NHS—Emerson Park Football Field

The Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood Housing Services (BF-NHS), in partnership with the City of Buffalo, will undertake a major renovation of the football field at Emerson Park with a $100,000 grant from the NFL Fields Program. The work will include a new field and bleachers, and a new building to contain rest rooms, a small concession area, equipment storage and a player weigh-in room. Match funding from the City of Buffalo will complete this $242,000 project.

Since 1979, the BF-NHS has been dedicated to the residential and commercial revitalization of the Fillmore District. The organization began by helping low- and moderate- income homeowners repair their properties. Since then the organization has steadily expanded into homeownership education and counseling, down-payment assistance programs, emergency home repair loans, and first mortgage products. Among its achievements, BF-NHS has renovated a former public school (School 62) into 33 apartments, and has managed the property successfully for the last 8 years.

The Fillmore District (including the Old First Ward and Perry Projects) contains a predominantly African-American population where 40% of the people in the community are under the age of 24. Most of the housing stock consists of small apartment houses, with a smaller percentage of single family homes. The median household income in the neighborhood is $12,992 compared to the City of Buffalo median of $18,452.

Emerson Park, site of the field project, lies in the northeastern corner of the Fillmore District behind Emerson Vocational High School. Once complete, the football field will serve members of the Erie County Football League. The league began over 30 years ago with the Buffalo Vets, and the most recent addition, the East Side Tigers, will use Emerson Park as their home field. Over 900 players in 4 weight divisions play in the league and a squad of 50 young people provide cheerleading support on the sidelines. The league also counts upon some 200 volunteer coaches, concession staff workers and other adults. The Mayor’s office and the City Council have pledged funding from the City’s capitol budget to match the NFL Fields Program grant.

Chicago, Illinois

New City YMCA—Inspiration Field

The New City YMCA will use a $90,000 grant to create a new combination baseball/football Inspiration Field behind their Near North Side facility. Through the Fields Program the Chicago Bears are joining the Chicago Cubs in the creation of this unique sports facility. The project will entail a new field, bleachers, concession stand, with baseball and football scoreboards and a running track.

The New City YMCA has played a vital role in the uplifting of the Near North Side of Chicago since 1980. The YMCA Family Activity Center offers to its 8,300 members a variety of fitness and recreation programs, as well as child care and after school programs and a teen center that serves over 100 youth per day. A somewhat untraditional yet equally important component of the New City YMCA is the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED), which serves as the development, and workforce training and placement arm of the organization. LEED joined many other individuals and institutions to help bring nearly $50 million in new investments and the retention of 700 jobs (and creation of 400 new jobs) with the 26 acre Goose Island Industrial Park. LEED also has a customized training program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and Depaul University that just expanded, where it expects to train 350 people in the first year of operations.

The Near North Side of Chicago is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. The neighborhood contains the former Cabrini Green Public Housing Projects and Chicago’s Gold Coast, a wealthy area along Lake Michigan. Despite a high median income, 20% of household incomes are below the poverty level and unemployment in some census tracts ranges as high as 54%. When the New City YMCA was built, it served as a catalyst for the development of the Clybourn Corridor, an area destroyed by the 1968 riots. As the Cabrini Green projects are torn down and replaced, New City YMCA is working with city planners, developers and other community organizations to make sure that new developments do not displace current residents of the neighborhood.

The Inspiration Field at the New City YMCA will host a growing flag football program. Currently the flag football league of the Chicago Public Schools is held at the YMCA and the field hosted the Illinois Punt, Pass Kick last fall. The total project costs are estimated to be $300,000. Keeping with its policy of turning no one away for the inability to pay, community members need not belong to the YMCA to use the new field.

Chicago, Illinois

North River Commission—North Park University Field

The North River Commission (NRC), with the assistance of a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program, will help finance a major field and stadium renovation at North Park University. The new lighted, artificial turf field will be open to the community and three local high schools, and the university will sponsor "punt, pass and kick" contests at home football games.

The North River Commission is a 38 year old umbrella community development organization on Chicago’s northwest side. More than 100 civic organizations, businesses, and institutions unite through NRC to preserve and strengthen the Albany Park, Irving Park and North Park neighborhoods. Through affiliate organizations, NRC has spearheaded a number of revitalization efforts. The Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation, an NRC affiliate, has packaged more than $100 million in economic development investments, creating more than 3,000 jobs. Another affiliate, the North River Housing Development Corporation has developed over 1,200 housing units. NRC also works to improve recreation and park space and served as a founding member of the River Park Advisory Council and the Friends of the Chicago River. In another recreation-based project, NRC prevented the demolition of a local auditorium, which in 1998 was converted in a $2.7 million gymnastics center.

The proposed North Park Community Football Field is located in Albany Park, along the north branch of the Chicago River. Albany Park has historically functioned as a point-of-entry neighborhood for new immigrants. Recent waves of newcomers have included Latinos, Cambodians, Arabs, and Bosnians. Other groups have stayed, making the neighborhood one of the most diverse in the city. Estimates from area schools and social service facilities indicate that the population is 5% African American, 24% Asian or Pacific Islander, 37% Hispanic, and 34% of Eastern or Southern European descent. Despite this rich ethnic variety, the neighborhood remains somewhat poor. In Albany Park, only 34% of the housing units are owner-occupied and 32% of the population lives with incomes below the poverty line.

North Park University, one of the founders of NRC, has rejected offers to move from the neighborhood and has remained a local institution for over 100 years. Opening its football field to the community will strengthen the links between the community and the university. Also of note, Mike Holmgren, Seattle Seahawks coach and his wife Kathy, an alumnus of the university, have made a $1 million commitment to the project.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati Recreation Commission--Spinney Field

The Cincinnati Bengals have donated Spinney Field, their former practice field facility located in the Lower Price Hill neighborhood. With support from a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program, the Bengals will install lights on the facility to be able to expand flag football programming into the evening hours.

Lower Price Hill is a largely industrial neighborhood with a high concentration of Appalachian residents and a recent influx of Hispanic families. The 1990 Census found that the area contained a 75% unemployment rate where 45% of the adults are without a high school diploma. Roughly 51% of the children live in single parent families with some 46% of households on public assistance. The neighborhood does, however, rely upon a number of sturdy community assets such as the Price Hill Health Clinic, the Urban Appalachian Council, Oyler Public School and the Esby Boys and Girls Club.

Spinney Field is tucked away in the heart of the industrial section of Lower Price Hill. The Bengals have plans to acquire adjacent properties to increase the visibility, access and parking available for the facility. The team will contribute an additional $500,000 to the facility over 5 years and when finished, it will include a new building that will house a gym and other learning spaces. The NFL Flag Football program will be relocated to the Spinney Field complex. Currently the program supports 34 teams serving over 1,000 young people. Having a safe, well lit, and central field dedicated to youth football will allow this program to expand in the coming years.

Cleveland, Ohio

ParkWorks—Luke Easter Park Football Field

ParkWorks will be in charge of constructing additional bleachers and an enclosed changing facility in Luke Easter Park to accommodate the spectators and players for its 58-team, Cleveland Muny Football League. A $100,000 grant from the Fields Program will be matched by funds from the City of Cleveland, which also made $50,000 available to the league last year through the Cleveland Browns Trust.

ParkWorks (formerly Clean-Land, Ohio) began in 1977 by focusing on the clean up and beautification of a right-of-way along RTA Rapid Transit lines. From there, the organization has expanded in stages over the past two decades to concentrate on a menu of programming that includes green space development, environmental education and awareness, and reforestation efforts for the City of Cleveland. ParkWorks won a highly competitive grant from the Lila-Wallace Readers Digest Fund Urban Parks Initiative which the organization employed to renovate select parks with capital and programmatic dollars to demonstrate the catalytic effects of this revitalization on the broader community. Last year, ParkWorks was one of five of the original grantees to be awarded a second round, three year institutionalization grant.

Luke Easter Park is located on Cleveland’s southeast side and straddles the Mt. Pleasant and Woodland Hills communities. Both communities are densely populated, low income neighborhoods and report a 97% African-American population. Some 33% of households are impoverished and youth comprise a significant portion of the community. Community development corporations and LISC have been actively involved in rebuilding the neighborhood. Within a one-mile radius of the park LISC has invested in 139 affordable housing units and just across Martin Luther King Boulevard on the park’s western edge is a large scale, market rate housing development being built by Mt. Pleasant NOW, a local nonprofit development corporation. The organization has also recently broken ground on the Mt. Pleasant NOW Services Center, a 45,000 sq. ft. new commercial building which will have Cuyahoga County’s Work & Training program as a tenant.

The changing facility at Luke Easter Park will be a one-story 1,400 sq. ft. concrete block with a brick façade, with radiant coil heating. An additional 1,500 bleacher seats will be needed to accommodate the growing crowds that attend Muny League games. These improvements will give momentum to the current regeneration of the league, and is symbolic of the broader renaissance of the city itself.

Cleveland, Ohio

Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland—Broadway Club

The Fields Program is making a $100,000 grant toward the development of a new Broadway Club field and facility for the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. The ambitious $7 million capital campaign will result in the creation of a new 27,500 sq. ft. building surrounded by football and other athletic fields on an 11-acre plot.

The Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland (B&GCC) was founded in 1954 by employees of the Republic Steel Corporation who located the first club in a turn-of-the-century structure in the Broadway neighborhood near the main industrial complex of the corporation. During the next 40 years, 5 additional clubs were established in different communities across the city. The most recent club opened in June 1998 at the Bellaire Gardens public housing project. B&GCC is the only facility-based organization in Cleveland whose program services focus specifically on youth aged 6-18. In addition to traditional recreation and educational activities, B&GCC offers a variety of character development and life skills training.

The Broadway neighborhood lies in the southeast section of Cleveland and is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including African-Americans, Eastern Europeans, and more recent immigrants from Appalachia. Many households are considered working class but a great many of residents live at or below Federal poverty levels. The neighborhood has long suffered from disinvestment and its housing stock and commercial corridors have just in the past few years seen the first fruits of revitalization.

The current Broadway club of the B&GCC, the very first in the city, dates to the 19^th century and is so small as to make it functionally obsolete. The new club will be less than ½ mile from the current one, and marks a renewed commitment to the neighborhood. The Capital Campaign Committee, led by an executives from LTV Steel and Turner Construction, expects to meet its goal of $7 million early in 2001, and have a groundbreaking in late spring. In addition to a full-size gym with spectator seating and a performance stage, the club will contain activity areas, offices and a computer learning lab. Expenses for the construction of the athletic fields are estimated at $500,000 and will be covered by the capital campaign. The B&GCC will incorporate maintenance and security into their operating budget. Once built, the new fields are expected to serve 600-800 youth.

Denver, Colorado

Denver Parks and Recreation Foundation—Sloan Lake Park

The Denver Parks and Recreation Foundation will use a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program to help renovate two very heavily used fields at Sloan Lake Park. The Police Athletic League plans to relocate their youth football program to Sloan Lake Park and will be one of the primary beneficiaries of this effort.

The Denver Parks and Recreation Foundation (DPRF) serves as the nonprofit, philanthropic arm of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. The DPRF, also known as the Park People, has raised funds and helped to sponsor a community-built playground, the Cheesman Park Memorial Renovation, the City Park Esplanade Fountain, and many tree planting projects. The Park People have made an impact on virtually every neighborhood in the city. The organization is driven by a strong volunteer base, which also keeps the staffing costs down and ensures that organizational priorities are guided by people not dollars.

The Sloan Lake neighborhood is situated at the western edge of the city of Denver. Sloan Lake Park serves as a regional park for this area of Denver, which is generally underserved by open spaces. The neighborhoods around the park are marked by households of various socio-economic levels and ethnic/racial backgrounds. Hispanics are the majority population, with smaller concentrations of American Indian and Asian peoples. Although the houses immediate adjacent to the lake typify upper-middle income households, poverty rates climb to as high as 45% in some neighborhoods.

With input from the community, the Denver Parks and Recreation Department recently completed a Master Plan for Sloan Lake Park. The field renovation included in the Plan calls for new soil and grading to improve sub-surface drainage into the lake and a new 5-foot high earthen berm at the perimeter of the field (and edge of the park) that will provide simple seating for spectators and a buffer for adjacent households. The fields are currently and will continue to be programmed by Denver Park and Rec., but the Police Athletic League will have priority access for their youth football programming.

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance—4-H Community Center

The Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance in association with the 4-H Community Center and Chandler Elementary School will direct $80,000 in Fields Program funding to create a flag football field at the 4-H Center. In the Gratiot Woods neighborhood of Detroit, this field will provide a welcome addition for local youth.

The Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance (DCPA) began in 1968 as a support group of priests who lived and worked in the City of Detroit. In 1990, DCPA incorporated as a nonprofit organization and began to attempt to fill the gaps in social services left by the closing of 35 city churches. Part of its labors include attempts to engage residents in their neighborhood through community organizing initiatives on issues such as housing development, public safety and neighborhood beautification. Its real estate efforts have included the rehabilitation of single family homes, minor home repair, the teaching of home buyer education classes, and the acquisition of some 42 vacant lots for future development.

The Gratiot Woods community is a 20-block neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. Over the past twenty years the community has suffered from a high rate of abandonment and deterioration. The owner-occupied homes in the area, however, are relatively well maintained and provide a strong base for recovery, despite the fact that the average value of these homes is $18,000 each. Incomes levels are a modest $15,000 per household.

In May 1999, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority awarded DCPA a $60,00 Neighborhood Preservation Beautification grant for the Gratiot Woods community. Through a series of meetings designed to gather community input, participants identified two major projects: a neighborhood tree planting campaign and the renovation of the athletic space at the 4-H Community Center. On what is now a rough grass play area and parking lot, the DCPA will remove the existing field and pavement, and install a new irrigation system, new top soil and sod, and other landscaping with a wrought iron fence around the perimeter of the new field (with sufficient space along the sidelines, of course). The football field will be used for a new NFL Flag Football League for youth ages 6 to 9, many of whom will come from Chandler Elementary School. Maintenance will be performed by DCPA.

East St. Louis, Illinois

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys & Girls Club

The Jackie Joyner—Kersee Boys & Girl Club will apply $100,000 from the NFL Community Football Fields Program toward a $916,088 project to construct two new regulation size football fields adjacent to its new facility.

In 1999 the JJK Club became a franchise member of the Tri-County Football League, which now contains 12 franchises located in the Metropolitan East St. Louis region. During the first year of operations, the JJK Club recruited over 500 youth for 11 teams that played 99 games. Forty-seven home games were held at the Clyde Jordan Stadium, pending the creation of the new fields at the JJK Club. Construction on the new fields is scheduled to begin in spring and they will hopefully be ready for the fall season of 2001.

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville Police Athletic League—Inglewood High School Field

The Nashville Police Athletic League will use a grant for $100,000 from the Fields Program to renovate the football field at Inglewood High School. Members of the Litton Alumni Association are leading the efforts to raise funds and coordinate the construction for this $850,000 project.

The Nashville Police Athletic League (PAL) has, since 1983, served the young people of Nashville and the surrounding area with athletic programs and an opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive, nurturing environment. PAL currently has 7 staff members--employees of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville--who are sworn police officers. These officers form the core of an organization that includes a widespread volunteer base of parents, many of whom coach or help coordinate athletic events, and an active Board of Directors with representation from the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, Hardaway Construction Corporation and others with development experience. Over 2,000 young people participate in PAL, forty percent of whom come from inner-city neighborhoods, and many of those from single parent households. PAL headquarters offer a series of enrichment programs such as drug and gang awareness, driver safety, and non-violent conflict resolution training as well as computer literacy classes.

The project will be located at Inglewood High School Field, which is the former Litton High School, one of the long time neighborhood schools in the city. Built in 1930, Isaac Litton H.S. graduated thousands of students over a 40 year span, many who became community leaders in the fields of academics, athletics, music, business and other professions. Inglewood is one of Nashville’s oldest communities. Today, it is comprised of mostly working class families with moderate incomes and its population features a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds. There is a shortage of park and recreation space in the neighborhood as many former open spaces have been converted to residential or commercial use.

The project will consist of significant upgrades to an underutilized football field adjacent to the high school. The initial phase of the project will focus on the playing surface and permanent bleachers to accommodate approximately 700 spectators. A later phase of construction will erect a structure to contain a concession stand, rest rooms, a press box, and storage as well as additional seating. PAL will match every NFL dollar with two of its own to complete the first phase of the project, estimated to cost $300,000. This field renovation is part of a much larger effort at the site that will include the renovation of the former gymnasium into a multi-purpose center that will become the new headquarters for the PAL. The Metropolitan Board of Public Education has signed an agreement to take responsibility for the maintenance of the field once renovations are complete.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Northside Residents Redevelopment Council, Inc.—North Commons Park

In partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council will relocate an outdoor winter hockey area and two softball fields to make room for a new community football field, with help from a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program.

Neighbors in the Near North and Willard-Hay communities created the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council, Inc. (NRRC) in 1971 as a response to federal urban renewal programs. NRRC has a history of securing capable partners to help accomplish its goals. Early work joined NRRC and private developers to create 197 units of affordable housing. Additional development projects since then have brought the total number of units under NRRC control to 430. In 1996, NRRC completed a 22,000 sq. ft. shopping center at the commercial node of Plymouth and Penn Avenues. A second phase of this project will expand the center to include office space, a small business incubator, and a number of service related businesses.

The Near North and Willard-Hay neighborhoods lie just north of downtown Minneapolis. While these areas have not reaped the benefits of the economic prosperity that the Twin Cities have enjoyed in recent years, they are beginning to rebound. Increasing poverty, gang activity, and unemployment continue to challenge these neighborhoods. Poverty rates according to the 1990 census ranged from 18% for whites to 46% for African Americans to 75% for Asian-Pacific Islanders. Alarmingly, a disproportionate number of households that are poor contain children. Unemployment hovers around 20% in the neighborhoods, and the median income is only about half of the area median income. There are a number of organizations offering youth programs, such as the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club, but even with presence of these institutions there is still a dearth of open space and athletic programs for the large youth population in these communities.

North Commons Park (26 acres) has a community center, tennis courts, playground, and various recreational fields. The Minneapolis Park and Recreational Board (Board) own and control the project site, one of 47 neighborhood recreational centers throughout the city. In order to maintain a high quality of programming and capital improvements, the Board must seek support from a variety of sources including volunteers, neighborhood organizations, and the public school system where possible. Across the street from the North Commons Park stands a branch of the YMCA, which shares its space with the Board for the purposes of youth programming. The main field at North Commons Park will be reconfigured to have a full time football field with natural grass, lights, benches, bleachers, a scoreboard and permanent goal posts. The Board will act as construction manager for the project, which is estimated to cost $240,645. NRRC will act as the fiscal agent and control construction disbursements. Last year, community football programs on the site organized over 200 youth and the improved field will be used to attract additional players and volunteers.

Miami, Florida

Liberty City Optimist Club—Charles Hadley Park Football Field

The Liberty City Optimist Club will invest a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program to make playing field improvements to Charles Hadley Park, the most used park in the City of Miami. This work will complement recent efforts by the Miami Parks and Recreation Department to build a clubhouse and storage facility on site with costs of $266,000.

The Liberty City Optimist Club (LCOC) is a true grassroots organization. Founded in 1990 by Samuel K. Johnson who saw a desperate need for adult role models and for activities to engage youth, he began with a single baseball team. He has grown the organization from those humble beginnings to offer a variety of after school programs including academics, recreation, cultural and civic activities for over 600 youth ages 4 to 18 on an annual basis. LCOC currently operates with a staff of 4 full time employees and relies on a cadre of about 100 volunteers to provide daily services. LCOC footballers won the Pop Warner State level championship just a few year ago, and it regularly sends a team into the state-level playoffs. LCOC has served as a neighborhood institution for 10 years, with recognition throughout the city and accolades from the likes of Attorney General Janet Reno.

Liberty City, home to a largely African-American population, contains a number of smaller neighborhoods—Liberty Square, King Heights, Manor Park, Brownsville, and Gladesview. The area has suffered from disinvestment since violence ripped the physical and social fabric of the community in the late 1960s. The poverty rate is nearing 50% for the overall population and is over 60% for persons 18 years old and younger. Unemployment stands at 17% according to recent calculations and the median family income is only $12,504, In these tough circumstances, LCOC and other organizations like the Tacolcy Economic Development Corporation have dug in their heels to rebuild the community, and their catalytic work has begun to attract other investments.

Charles Hadley Park is the most programmed and utilized park in the City, according to the City of Miami Park and Recreation Department. With year after year of heavy play, the football field is now marked with potholes and uneven sloping, which causes water pooling after rain storms. LCOC will purchase a new irrigation system, top soil and seeded grass surface with the NFL Community Football Fields Program grant. These improvement will allow for easier and less costly maintenance by the Parks Dept. Additional work, namely the new clubhouse, lights and press box will make this facility truly a first class operation.

La Mesa, California

East County Family YMCA—Junior Seau Sports Complex

The East County YMCA is spearheading a large collaborative effort called the PARKS Project, which will employ a $100,000 grant from the NFL Fields Program to assist in the construction of a $5 million regional sports complex for the residents of East San Diego County. San Diego Charger Junior Seau joined the effort in April of 2000 as Co-Chair of the PARKS Project and the facility will carry his name to honor this commitment.

The PARKS Project has drawn together the East County YMCA (formerly the Davis/Grossmont YMCA), the City of La Mesa, the La Mesa Spring Valley School District, the Challenge Center (a nonprofit organization dedicated to physical fitness for disabled adults and children) and the La Mesa Athletic Council (a volunteer sports organization). This collaboration arose in response to an increase in the population of youth in the area (13% since 1990) and a shortage of sports fields and facilities to accommodate the growth. The YMCA has been serving San Diego County for 35 years and its proven fund raising skills are expected to help raise the resources necessary to meet the total project costs of $8 million. To date, the collaboration has garnered over $2.5 million in pledges and contributions.

The East Suburban area of San Diego County that will be served by the Junior Seau Sports Facility includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and El Cajon. Beyond that, the complex is expected to draw youth and their families from the unincorporated areas of the County such as Alpine, Jamul, and Ramona, pushing to total population served to over ½ million. Within two miles of the park, there are 11,000 youth under the age of 18. The income levels for the households in this area vary widely, where Lemon Grove and El Cajon are somewhat poorer than La Mesa. The population has a Caucasian majority, with growing numbers of Hispanic, Black and Asian families moving into the area. La Mesa is the commercial center for the region, such that locating the facility in La Mesa builds on the existing attractions that attract people from farther reaches of the County.

The Junior Seau Sport Complex will be housed at Parkway Middle School and La Mesita Park. When complete the facility will include a football field, a multipurpose practice field, tow baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts and a skateboard park. Phase I, budgeted at $1 million, will consist of the football field, parking lot, and utilities for the entire complex. Community support for the project has grown as the plans have circulated. Last April an event called "Taste of La Mesa", sponsored by local restaurants drew over 500 residents to enjoy gourmet fare and contribute to the PARKS Project. VON’s and Grossmont Center have also expressed an interest in supporting the project through events at their retail establishments. Football field programming will fall into two categories. During school days, it will be used for physical education classes. After school, the field will be open to the community. On weekends, nights, and during the summer, the fields will be used by an adult flag football league, Pop Warner Football, American Youth Soccer Organization, and YMCA sports camps.

Kansas City, Missouri

Northland Neighborhood, Inc.—Pleasant Valley Park Football Field

With a grant of $75,000 from the NFL Community Football Fields Program, Northland Neighborhood, Inc. will be able to finish grading and seeding three football fields in Pleasant Valley Park, and construct additional parking for the facility. In addition to the $852,000 the City has already spent on this park for planning and development, the City Council is allocating matching funds of $50,000 for the football field project.

Northland Neighborhood, Inc. (NNI) was incorporated in May 1996 with a Board of Directors consisting of representatives from the neighborhoods, businesses and civic community in that section of Kansas City north of the Missouri River. Local leaders founded the organization after seeing a need to address accelerating blight, the aging and impoverishment of the population, and the deterioration of housing stock. NNI is an organizing entity, which defines its mission as assisting in the development and preservation of healthy, cohesive neighborhoods. It works toward this objective by collaborating and convening various public and private institutions for the revitalization of the area. Its partners have included the Clay County Economic Development Council, Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Northland Betterment Council, the Kansas City Police Department, the North Suburban Youth Football League and the North Kansas City School District.

Pleasant Valley Park draws people from the Kansas City north of the river and others from the inner ring suburban areas just beyond the city line. It functions as a regional park and most users drive to the park. This area of the city has a large working class population, in part because of the nearby Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant. Although the median income for the census tracts immediately surrounding the park, the elementary schools are all Title I schools, meaning that over 50% of the children who attend are eligible for free school lunches because of limited family incomes. The ethnicity of the neighborhoods surrounding the park is predominantly white, with small concentrations of African-American households. The area north of the river was only recently annexed by Kansas City, MO. As such, representatives have had to fight hard to secure City resources for their northern districts. Pleasant Valley Park is filling a critical need for athletic facilities in this area, and its football fields will become regional attractions once improvements are made.

The North Suburban Football League, the principal user of the renovated fields has 27 teams of youth ranging from ages 8-13, with over 900 players and almost 300 cheerleaders. Youth in the league come from diverse ethnic background and NNI intends to recruit more teams from inner-city Kansas City, where the teams tend to have more African-American players. This effort is part of the "Hands Across the River" initiative of the Northland Diversity Council, a partnership of businesses and nonprofit organizations to build a sense of community that spans the neighborhoods on both sides of the river.

Jacksonville, Florida

Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida—Woodlawn Acres Club Football Field

The Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida propose to use a $100,000 grant from the NFL Community Football Fields Program to renovate a football field at its Woodlawn Acre club, which will be shared by the club and a new community Charter School, Cornerstone Academy. City funding in the form of a Community Development Block Grant will supply matching funds to improve parking, landscaping and minor repairs to the clubhouse.

Laurence F. Lee, Sr. began the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida some 35 years ago to empower youth to develop and achieve their potential as human beings and become more responsible, productive citizens. The first club was named as a memorial in his honor and now there are 11 clubs in the chapter and Club-affiliated programs at three public schools as part of Duval County’s B.E.S.T. (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow) program. More than 10,000 youth ages 6-18 benefit from the services of the Boys & Girls Club every year. Clubs are open from during weekdays from noon until 9 p.m. during the school year and from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on school holidays and breaks.

The Woodlawn Acre Club is located in the East Arlington neighborhood of Jacksonville. There are nine multi-level subsidized housing complexes within walking distance of the facility. The neighborhood housing stock consists in large part of mobile homes, and what single family homes do exist, many are in poor condition. A community needs assessment conducted in 1997 by the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council reported some 80% of Boys & Girls Club members’ families have incomes of $10,000 or less. On Atlantic Blvd., the main commercial thoroughfare, the community supports several small businesses and the Regency Square Mall. Warrinton Park, about six blocks from the Boys & Girls Woodlawn Acres Club, contains baseball field and basketball court, both in fair condition. Buildings in the park include a healthcare center for women and children and a community center for seniors.

The 3,500 sq. ft. Club itself sits on a 3.5 acre lot on Pecan Street. The Boys & Girls Club will lease a section of the lot to the Cornerstone Academy, where the charter school will place temporary modular classrooms until it finds land to construct permanent structures. The existing field has suffered from wear and tear and now needs to be regraded for drainage with new topsoil and a new sod playing surface. In addition to this work, the basketball courts need to be resurfaced and the tennis courts lengthened to regulation sizes. The Club hopes to secure several in-kind donations, notably from Miller Electric for electrical work that will allow for the installation of lighting for all outdoor athletic facilities and Nutri-Turf for sod. The current youth football program involves 100 young people with plans to more teams. The Police Athletic League will make use of the football field for their weekend games in the fall. The goal is to have the field regularly serve 500 youth for football, soccer and flag football. The Boys & Girls Club and Cornerstone Academy will share the cost of field maintenance.

Goulds, Florida

Goulds Community Development Corporation—Goulds Park Football Field

With a grant of $70,000, the Goulds Community Development Corporation will install new lighting and a new irrigation system for its football fields. This will enable the 450 member Pop Warner League to expand its program schedule into the evenings, making it easier for parents to participate and watch their children.

Goulds Community Development Corporation (Goulds CDC) incorporated in 1993 with a mission to raise and expand the economic, educational and social levels of its residents. Over the past three years, Goulds CDC has channeled over $2 million for the development of its various residential and commercial projects, including some 59 affordable single family homes. The organization has also assembled a redevelopment plan for the community’s 10-acre Historic District. Since 1996, the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department and Safe Neighborhood Parks program have awarded $150,000 to Goulds CDC for various capital improvements to Goulds Park, which include park benches, bleachers, water fountains, fencing, electrical design work, and parking lot lighting.

The Goulds community is located in an urbanizing section of unincorporated Dade County just south of Cutler Ridge. It is bounded on the north and northeast sides by the Black Creek canal (including the triangular Cutler Ridge Shopping Center). The southern boundary is SW 232^nd Street and the western border is SW 127^th Avenue. As one of the Miami area’s oldest African American communities, Goulds celebrates over one hundred years of local history, captured in the traditions of some of its churches and civic organizations. The income levels in the community are moderate and the housing stock is in fair shape, with some subsidized and public housing developments.

Goulds Park is located on 30 acres at the center of the community, bordered by the Grace of God Baptist Church Community Center and the Isaac A. Withers Enrichment Center on either side. Inside the park, residents enjoy a baseball field, two football fields, a playground, pool, tennis court, an outdoor basketball court and a gym with an indoor court and multipurpose room. The project will build upon the work already in progress with support from the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department. The football fields will have a new irrigation system, covered with graded topsoil and sod. The lighting will illuminate the two football fields and the baseball field, to lend additional hours of programming to the park.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Lincoln Larimer Community Development Corporation—Chadwick Field

With a $70,000 grant from the NFL Fields Program, the Lincoln Larimer Community Development Corporation will add a concession stand, bleachers, new public announcement system and scoreboard to Chadwick Field. The City of Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation Department is providing matching funds.

The Lincoln Larimer Community Development Corporation (LLCDC) was founded in 1989 by a dedicated group of residents to combat blight in the neighborhood because of declining population, the loss of local businesses, and deterioration of the housing stock. The group counts among its accomplishments the designation of its neighborhood as a State Enterprise Zone (thus accessing State monies for revitalization), the rehabilitation and sale of 5 single family homes, and assistance in the Stagno Bakery $2.2 million expansion. The organization’s current work includes façade renovations for 4 businesses, participation with the Urban Market Collaborative for a market analysis of the LLCDC neighborhoods, and the development of a computer lab and job training facility.

LLCDC services the neighborhoods of Lemington, Belmar, Lincoln and Larimer. Low and moderate income African-American households make up the majority of residents. The housing stock is in fair condition despite the fact that over 50% of the homes are over 50 years old. The commercial corridors have suffered worse in recent years, with many of the stores and shop fronts vacant or with tenants who do not care for their space. Despite these conditions, there remains a stable population of homeowners and numerous community resources. Adults and young people in the community enjoy the Paulson Recreation Center, Playground and Swimming Pool, the Chadwick Recreation Center and Athletic Fields.

The project will add a concession stand, bleachers, new public announcement system and scoreboard to Chadwick Field. This will make the facility more attractive for parents and the broader community to gather at the field to watch youth football. The Lincoln Larimer Big Cats teams—4 teams for different weight classes--are members of the Allegheny County Midget Football League, which has representation from 7 Pittsburgh area neighborhoods.

Richmond, California

Richmond Police Athletic League—John F. Kennedy High School

The Richmond Police Athletic League is teaming up with St. Louis Rams player D’Marco Farr to help renovate the game and practice fields at John F. Kennedy High School. With a $100,000 grant from the Fields Program, the renovation will install a new irrigation system and turf to the game field, and upgrade the irrigation system and turf on the practice field.

The Richmond Police Athletic League (PAL) has served as a long time institution for the young people in this city. PAL operates a variety of athletic programs for young people ages 5-18 years old. It also offers tutoring and mentoring and computer literacy classes. The Willie McGee Computer Excellence Center offers year round classes and access to computers for young people and adults. PAL was recently awarded $2,250,000 from the California Department of the Youth Authority, which will be used to renovate the Mechanics Bank building in Richmond into a new headquarters for PAL.

The JFK High School is located in the Laurel Park neighborhood of Richmond. A low and moderate-income neighborhood, Laurel Park also contains John F. Kennedy Manor, a large public housing development right across the street from the high school. The 300-unit JFK-Manor is receiving a $12.5 million rehabilitation that will hopefully trigger other nearby real estate investments. The other big-ticket item for the neighborhood has been the $4.5 million renovation of the Richmond Swim Center which repaired a dilapidated outdoor pool and enclosed the facility. The new indoor facility includes an Olympic size pool, diving tank, and a children’s wading pool.

The football field renovation will give new life to a facility that has graduated such NFL players as Benny Barnes (Cowboys), Kenny Ray Daniel (Giants/Colts), Terry Obee (Bears/Seahawks), Patrick Egu (Jets/Patriots), and D’Marco Farr (Rams). After double practices and a full roster of games on Friday nights and Saturdays, the fields have been worn down to nubs of grass and dirt. The new irrigation system and playing surfaces will restore the field to a safe, attractive condition. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will be in charge of maintenance to the irrigation system and the fields.

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Salvation Army—Una Community Center

The Salvation Army will use a $100,000 grant from the NFL Fields Program to regrade its playing field, add lights and bleachers, a public announcement system, and new fencing.

The Salvation Army Community Center (Center) has served the Una community of Spartanburg for nearly 20 years, after a local manufacturing company, Reeves Brothers, donated the land to the Salvation Army. The Center began its after school program in 1984, with buses providing members pick-up services; now that program operates with 5 local schools. The activities at the Center include a tutorial program, literacy classes, and a nutrition program in addition to athletic and recreational programming. Pending final negotiations, Barnet & Sons Manufacturing intend to donate 8 acres adjacent to the Center to the Salvation Army. This will allow for the creation of expanded parking, an all purpose athletic field, and a passive park area.

The Una community contains many residents who can trace their roots to the migration that brought people from the mountains of North Carolina in the early part of this century. It is a somewhat rural area, on the northern outskirts of Spartanburg. Unfortunately, the community has recently fallen victim to crime and poverty. The median family income is $17,912, compared to $26,941 for the county as a whole. Industries have downsized or left the area and the housing stock has deteriorated from deferred maintenance, resulting in a decrease in property values. The Salvation Army Community Center is one of the few resources available for young people in Una.

The project will involve a complete makeover of the Center’s football field and the surrounding amenities. About 250 youth, ages ranging from 6 to 12 now participate in the current football program at the Center. New lights and bleachers will open the possibility to have for having night practices and games. Hopefully this will allow more parents to come and watch and perhaps volunteer at the Center.

Tampa, Florida

Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association—Old Thonotosassa Park

Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association will renovate fields at Old Thonotosassa Park, just outside Tampa, to create a new home field for this grassroots youth sports organization. With a $100,000 grant from the NFL and significant local matching funds, the organization will renovate a practice and game field, install field lights, and build a grandstand and press box.

Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association (TTYSA) began informally as a group of dedicated parents who organized sports teams for their children. In 1971, the organization incorporated as a nonprofit, but stayed true to its parent driven, volunteer roots. The organization has operated youth sports programs since then, serving youth in Temple Terrace and other nearby communities. The Board of Directors, consisting of 15 members, provides leadership for the dozens of volunteers parents and coaches who make the program possible. In the 2000 season, TTYSA registered 168 boys and 110 girls for the football/cheerleading season. No young person is denied the opportunity to participate, as waivers of registration fees or scholarships are given to those who demonstrate need.

The Thonotosassa community is a rural, unincorporated area of Hillsborough County, despite the fact that it is only 12 miles from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Buccaneers. It has an elementary school and a post office, with a few trailer parks and farmland. The Thonotosassa Elementary School, located on the edge of Old Thonotosassa Park, provides first through fifth grade education to students of whom 90% receive free or subsidized lunches.

The project is a remarkable amalgam of in kind donated materials and services, parent volunteer labor and public funding from Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation. TTYSA has received and/or expended over $28,000 for the fields project thus far. The NFL grant will give TTYSA the hard dollars it needs to complete the work in a timely fashion for the opening day of practice in the fall of 2001. The football programming relies on a dedicated cadre of coaches, many who have volunteered for TTYSA for more than a decade. The website, www.ttysa.com portrays the enthusiasm and commitment of the organization to local youth.

Tacoma, Washington

Martin Luther King Housing Development Association—Stanley Playfield

The MLK Housing Development Authority (MLKHDA) has requested $100,000 from the NFL Fields Program to renovate a football field in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Pierce County in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma.

The MLKHDA has served Hilltop since 1989 and describes itself as a "community based developer, owner, and manager of housing, primarily for low-income individuals and families." MLKHDA has successfully purchased and rehabilitated/constructed 166 housing units, taught over 300 persons with a homeownership education program (and sold 32 homes to them), and has organized a commercial corridor revitalization program along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. This last effort has started to bear tangible fruits with the $4 million development of a new Rite Aid drugstore for the community.

The Hilltop neighborhood is diverse in terms of its socio-economic indicators and ethnic/racial populations. As of 1997, some 34% of households earned less than $15,000 while only 17% had income more than $50,000. The population is well represented by African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic groups, with a significant proportion of Caucasians as well. The housing stock consists largely of homes built before 1940, many which have been condemned by the City of Tacoma for health and housing code violations. The city and the neighborhood are coming back, as new real estate investments have begun to flow into Hilltop and MLKHDA has functioned as a catalyst for some of these new resources.

The Al Davies Boys & Girls Club stands within the Stanley Playfield, as the result of a long lease between the Metropolitan Parks District and the Boys & Girls Club of Pierce County. The project will renovate a multi-purpose athletic field primarily for football. The design calls for a reconfiguration of the irrigation system, new topsoil, sand and a seeded turf field as well as bleachers, a scoreboard and services building to house restrooms, a concession stand and field equipment storage. Both the Boys & Girls Club and Stanley Elementary School will make use of the new field.

West Palm Beach, Florida

Northwood Business Development Corp.—Wish Upon a Star Athletic Facility

The Northwood Business Development Corporation, through a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, the State and the Quantum Foundation, will create a $5.7 million athletic complex in the Northwood community of West Palm Beach. A grant of $100,000 from the Fields Program would enable the field portion of the project to be moved forward, into Phase I of construction.

The Northwood Business Development Corporation (NBDC) was formed in 1992 and focused on community-based planning and business development. NDBC has helped to assemble an economic development enhancement strategy, in concert with the City and planning consultants Duany-Plater-Zyberk. That effort attracted $600,000 in public sector investments for streetscape, traffic calming and landscape improvements; helped to secure $215,000 in grants for a façade renovation project with 11 businesses; and has underway the renovation of the old Northwood hotel into the Northwood Town Center. The organization has also helped numerous families with first-time home buyer education and loan packaging.

Northwood is one of the oldest communities in West Palm Beach, and has a designated historic district and homes with varying architectural styles such as Spanish Mediterranean, Art Deco, and Key West Bungalow. However, most units have not been maintained and many have been abandoned. Of 5,689 housing units, there are 1,119 vacant structures and over 1,632 units which are rent subsidized. The median sales price for houses is $48,000 compared to $120,000 for the county. The population is diverse, with some 49% minority representation.

The land and building that currently houses the Northwood Community Center (Center) was bought by the City in 1962, and has had no expansions or significant renovations since that time. In 1995, citizens, in cooperation with NDBC and the City put together an improvement plan for the Center, called the "Wish Upon a Star Gymnasium Project". The new facility will have programs operated by the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County and, in addition to a gym, will have a day care center, an adults recreation center and at least three athletic play fields. The West Palm Beach Police Athletic League is also expected to coordinate its youth football programming for the new fields.