OAKLAND, CA – MAY 22, 2019 – Richmond Friends of Recreation will install new synthetic turf at Martin Luther King Jr. Field thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the Oakland Raiders through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program. The grant from the Raiders, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is among $61 million the Grassroots Program has invested in creating or improving 365 fields nationwide during the last two decades.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Field, in the heart of Richmond, is home to multiple local youth football teams, totally 17,500 player visits per year. The field will be resurfaced for the first time since it was installed in 2009.
The NFL Foundation/LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program is a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation's leading community development support organization. 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.
"The Raiders are excited to be involved in this project that will impact thousands of Richmond area youth, who can now look forward to playing their games on new fields," stated the Oakland Raiders.
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.
"This is a great example of collective impact and partnership in our community," said Cynthia Wong, Executive Director of Bay Area LISC. "We are happy for the City of Richmond and all of the youth and community members the field serves."
About the NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on The NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.
About LISC
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $20 billion to build or rehab more than 400,500 affordable homes and develop 66.8 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged nearly $60.4 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
Media Contacts: Mike Taylor, Oakland Raiders, mtaylor@raiders.com; Quency Phillips, Bay Area LISC, QPhillips@lisc.org
