Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School has received a grant to install a synthetic turf field at its middle school in Buffalo, expanding space for physical education and youth football.
The Buffalo Bills, NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation are supporting the project through the NFL Foundation-LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program. The new field will allow the school to offer modified tackle football and modified girls flag football.
Students will use the field for physical education classes, football programming and after-school programs. It also will accommodate league, intramural and junior varsity games.
“This field will give our students and community youth more opportunities to stay active, build confidence, and experience the teamwork and belonging that school sports can offer,” said Joseph B Polat, the charter school’s executive director.
Polat said the field’s benefits would extend beyond the classroom, from daily physical education to the two modified football programs. He thanked the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program and the Paul A. Saffrin Foundation for investing in students and creating opportunities for young people in Buffalo.
Nearly 500 fields built or refurbished nationwide
The NFL Foundation and LISC have partnered for nearly three decades to develop community football fields and create safe, accessible places for young people to play. Since the program began, it has distributed more than $70 million to schools and community organizations, supporting the construction or refurbishment of nearly 500 fields nationwide.
“For nearly 30 years, the NFL Foundation and LISC have helped expand access to safe, high-quality places for young people to play, grow and connect,” said Alexia Gallagher, the NFL’s vice president of philanthropy and executive director of the NFL Foundation.
Gallagher said the Grassroots Field Grant Program supports local leaders working to create healthier communities and give young people more opportunities to experience football’s benefits.
LISC identifies local nonprofit and community-based agencies interested in building or refurbishing football fields at schools and neighborhood parks. Participating agencies receive financing and technical assistance to improve field quality and safety, and they oversee each field’s construction, maintenance and programming.
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