RENTON, WASH. – MAY 22, 2019 – Yelm High School will get a new synthetic turf football field thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the Seattle Seahawks through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program. The grant from the Seahawks, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to Yelm Community Schools is part of $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
"This is an amazing honor for our school district and city," said Brian Wharton, Superintendent of Yelm Community Schools. "Not only will our students benefit from a new first-class facility, but we will also be able to use our stadium year-round, making the high school stadium the focal point for youth and interscholastic activities in our community."
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.
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 partnership and this field go beyond just a place to play. It will also help connect and bring communities together and is a major investment in our most important asset – our youth," said Joseph Horiye, LISC Program Vice President. "Thank you to the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks for helping make this happen for the Yelm Community Schools District and the many families to benefit from this grant award."
