Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation Receives $200K Grant From The Oakland RaidersThrough LISC/NFL Foundation Grassroots Program
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Oakland Raiders, Visit Oakland Announce Launch of Raiders Week
September 4, 2014 (Oakland, CA) –On Monday, September 8 at 10 a.m. The Oakland Raiders through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program, will present The Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation (FOPR) with a $200,000 grant which will go towards installation of a new synthetic turf football field at Oakland's Curt Flood Sports Complex.
The check will be presented to Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Oakland Parks & Recreation, Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation, city and school officials, as well as field users and supporters of the Curt Flood Sports Complex. The grant from the Raiders, the NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to the Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
The Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation was incorporated in 1981 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between city funding and the public's need for safe, accessible, quality, clean parks and recreation centers. The grant will be matched with funds raised by Oakland Park & Recreation, Council Member Noel Gallo, Housing Community Development and the Community Block Grant, in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District, the Golden State Warriors, the Curt Flood Committee and Professional Athletes. Curt Flood field is located in the Fruitvale area of Oakland, and serves 800 students monthly for football and other sports activities. Due to this heavy use, the natural grass field has deteriorated.
RAIDERS WEEK
In addition, the ceremony is an opportunity to kickoff Raiders Week, from Monday, September 8 to 14. Spearheaded by Visit Oakland, this citywide celebration marks the start of the 2014 regular football season and encourages fans to showcase their team spirit by wearing Raiders apparel all week.
There will be a variety of citywide Raiders Week initiatives, including:
- AC Transit bus headers to read "GO RAIDERS!" on all buses
- Raiders Flag to fly atop Oakland City Hall and Tribune Tower
- Hotel frontline staff and Uptown, Downtown and Jack London Square Street Ambassadors will wear Raiders caps
- Raiders Week placards displayed inside local businesses
- Hashtag: #RAIDERSWEEK14
- The Raiders are providing Visit Oakland with cheer cards, pins and decals that are being distributed throughout the community by the Downtown/Uptown District Street Ambassadors, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Save Oakland Sports and Visit Oakland.
