The California Rodeo Association’s Second Vice President Brent Eastman and Public Recreation Unlimited’s President Warren Wayland accepted a check for a $200,000 grant from the NFL/LISC Foundation Grassroots program and the San Francisco 49ers on Friday December 13th before the Monterey County All Star Football Game at Rabobank Stadium. Randy Kirk, a former 49er Linebacker and Special Teams player from 1996-1999, was on site to present the check.
The grant, awarded by the 49ers, the NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), was combined with over $9.3 million private donations. Rabobank Stadium at the Salinas Sports Complex serves as a home to youth, high school and junior college football. The stadium is managed by the California Rodeo Inc.
The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, the nation’s leading community development support corporation, has resulted in the construction or renovation of 273 football fields nationwide in the past 12 years. During that time, the NFL Foundation has granted more than $35 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods. Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements such as 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, neighborhood-based agencies which have an interest in building or refurbishing football
fields in schools and parks in underserved neighborhoods. Through the
program, the local agencies are provided with the necessary financing
and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields
in their neighborhoods. The local agencies oversee the construction,
maintenance and programming of the fields.”Our focus at LISC is on building sustainable communities – good places to live, work, do business and raise families,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC president and CEO.
“Developing
recreational opportunities is a key part of that, and the NFL
Foundation has been a committed partner in making it happen.”
About the NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation (NFL Foundation) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of sports, youth
football and the communities in which we live. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth
football, and the communities which support our game.
About LISC
LISC combines corporate, government, and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize distressed neighborhoods.
Since 1980, LISC has raised $12 billion to build or rehab 289,000 affordable homes and develop 46 million square feet of retail, community, and educational
space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged nearly $40 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
About the San Francisco 49ers Foundation
The San Francisco 49ers Foundation is the non-profit community funding extension of the San Francisco 49ers. Now in its 21st year,
the 49ers Foundation supports development programs for underserved youth that keep them, “Safe, On Track, and In School." The San Francisco 49ers are
promoting RESPECT for schools and community by donating a significant portion of the foundation’s funding toward family violence prevention programs and activities
that teach youth leadership and respect.Since 1992, the Foundation has donated over $20 million to support non-profits, including $2.9 million in 2012.
About Public Recreation Unlimited
Public Recreation Unlimited is a 501C3 charitable non-profit organization that was formed in 1970 raise funds from the public in
order
to place needed improvements on property devoted to recreational
purposes. Since its inception, this group has raised millions of dollars
for
projects in Sherwood Park such as the renovation and reconstruction of the Rodeo Grounds into today’s multi-use
Salinas
Sports Complex that includes not only the arena, but softball fields,
an indoor soccer facility and more. Public Recreation Unlimited is
wrapping up a major fundraising campaign to collect over $9 million
dollars to build a state of the art stadium to house high school
football, soccer and more. Youth
in the Salinas Valley will benefit tremendously from the efforts of Public Recreation Unlimited.
About the California Rodeo Salinas
The California Rodeo Salinas will take place July 17-20, 2014. The California Rodeo Association is a not-for-profit organization that strives to preserve and
promote the traditions of the California Rodeo Salinas and the West. We support the community and other non-profit organizations through the staging of the
annual California Rodeo Salinas and other year round operations of the Salinas Sports Complex. Through donation of our facility, vending and fundraising
opportunities during Rodeo and other events, the California Rodeo Association returns over $350,000 annually to local non-profits. For more information about
the California Rodeo Salinas, log on to www.CARodeo.com or call the California Rodeo Office at 831-775.3100. ‘Like’ the California Rodeo on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CARodeoSalinas or follow us on twitter @CaliforniaRodeo for updates, photos and more.