BOSTON - MAY 21, 2019 - Madison Park High School will get a new synthetic turf football field thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the New England Patriots through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program. The grant from the Patriots, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to the Fund for Parks and Recreation in Boston is part of $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
The NFL Foundation/LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation's leading community development support organization, has committed nearly $61 million to the program since 1998, supporting the creation or refurbishment of 365 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.
"We are excited to be able to turn Madison Park's dream of a new football field into a reality," said Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, the Patriots Executive director of community affairs. "Years ago we launched our first, free Football for YOU clinic at Madison Park High School. We've seen firsthand the level of passion that Madison Park students and their community have for the game of football and we're proud to support their efforts. I would like to thank the NFL Foundation and LISC for making this possible."
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.
Karen Kelleher, Executive Director of LISC Boston, underscored the importance of this investment in Roxbury: "The Madison Park athletic complex is used by thousands of residents and by schools, sports leagues and community organizations, despite the current wear and tear on the playing surface. LISC is thrilled that its partnership with the Patriots and the NFL Foundation enables us to join the City's investment to refurbish this valuable recreational resource for the residents of Roxbury and the surrounding neighborhoods. The Madison Park field will be the tenth field in Massachusetts and the fourth in Boston that we have funded through the Grassroots program."
