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The Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Grassroots Program announced that a grant of $200,000 will be awarded to Woodward high school to be used to install synthetic turf grass on their football field, an eight-lane track and 2,000 seats.
The grant came from the partnership between the NFL Youth Football Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and is one small chuck of $2.5 million of grants given to areas across the country for similar projects.
The Bengals are also excited about the party they played in the grant, partly because they have now donated over $1 million dollars to local schools.
"We are excited about helping to provide such a needed community asset that will not only provide for a safe and dependable place for youth to play football, but will also serve as a magnet for other community activities for the Woodward school community," said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice president. "This project also represents a milestone for our charitable giving, in that with this project we top more than $1 million dedicated to local schools for much needed improvements over the past six years."
The superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools is very grateful for the money given for Woodrow High School's new field.
"We are extremely grateful for this generous grant that will ultimately enhance the athletic programs at Woodward Career Technical High School and our nearby elementary schools. Many thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals, the NFL Youth Football Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation for their continuous support of our students."
The Bengals were one of 13 teams to help bring grants to the local areas. The other teams involved and the projects donated to are:
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Team Affiliation |
Field Location |
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Phoenix, AZ; Riverside Elementary School District |
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Atlanta, GA; Park Pride |
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Buffalo, NY; Buffalo Legacy Project |
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Chicago, IL; Parkways Foundation |
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Cincinnati Bengals |
Cincinnati, OH; Cincinnati Public School District |
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Toledo, OH; East Toledo Junior Football League |
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Minneapolis, MN; Minneapolis Public Schools |
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Nashua, NH; Nashua School District |
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New Orleans, LA; Algiers Economic Development Foundation |
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Camden, NJ; Camden Board of Education |
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St. Louis, MO; PHL, Inc./St. Louis Public School District |
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San Diego, CA; Sweetwater Union High School District |
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San Francisco, CA; South San Francisco Unified School Dist. |
Of the program that has given out over $30 million is grants over the past 30 years, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We are pleased to work with LISC to provide young people with access to quality playing fields where children can 'play 60' in a safe environment," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Community fields are pillars of their neighborhoods, where kids and their families bond with each other and their peers. It's what the NFL is all about."