Award is part of more than $3 million in new grants to athletic fields nationwide
The YMCA of Greater Houston has been granted $100,000 from the Houston Texans through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program to renovate and resurface sports fields for proper irrigation and fencing at the Harriet and Joe Foster Family YMCA in the Greater Heights community.
The grant from the Texans, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of more than $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated across the country this year. This NFL Grassroots Program grant is the 10th awarded in Houston, totaling more than $1 million in grant funds to area neighborhoods.
"The Houston Texans Foundation's mission is to be Champions for Youth and along with the NFL and LISC, we are excited to announce two new turf fields to host youth activities in the Greater Heights community," said Jamey Rootes, Houston Texans President. "This investment will elevate the quality of life for the next generation of leaders in our community and allow them to develop their minds, bodies and spirits through their participation in athletics."
"The Y is about building the whole child, from the inside out, and is the starting point for many youth to learn about being active and developing healthy habits that they will carry with them throughout their lives," said Paul McEntire, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Houston. "Youth sports programs encourage and promote healthy and strong kids, families and communities by placing a priority on family involvement, healthy competition, team building, a positive self-image, a sense of fair play and mutual respect for others. We are very grateful for this grant from the Houston Texans and the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program."
The NFL Foundation/LISC Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation's leading community development support organization, has committed nearly $43 million to the program since 1998, supporting 322 projects 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.
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.
"Our mission at LISC is to help build healthy and resilient communities of opportunity and choice – good places to live, do business, work and raise families," said Amanda Timm, Executive Director of Houston LISC. "Developing quality recreational facilities and experiences is a key part of that journey, and the NFL has been a committed partner in making that happen."
