Saving Grace Ministries has been granted $50,000 by the Buffalo Bills through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program to install a new playing field at the East Ferry Sports Complex. The site was previously occupied by the Humboldt YMCA.
The Buffalo Sabres Foundation and the True Community Development Corporation are also involved in the project.
The grant from the Bills, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of more than $3 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
From Training Camp visits to holiday surprises and everything in-between, the Bills teamed up with several partners to make an impact in the community throughout the 2016 season.
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.
"The Buffalo Bills along with the National Football League Foundation are truly proud to partner together and improve the recreational opportunities for residents in the city of Buffalo," said Bills owner and NFL Foundation board member Kim Pegula. "We believe these types of grassroots partnerships between the NFL and our community partners will have a positive impact on Western New York for years to come."
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 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, work, do business, visit and raise families," said MAURICE JONES, LISC president and CEO. "Developing quality recreational assets and experiences is a key part of that journey, and the NFL has been a committed partner in making that happen."
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, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on The NFL Foundation, visit: 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 $16.2 billion to build or rehab more than 348,000 affordable homes and develop 56 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged nearly $48.5 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
