Pass in the Park partners also include Peace in the Streets and Front Porch Alliance
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2008) - Join Indy Parks and the Indianapolis Colts in celebrating the grand opening of the NFL/LISC-funded football field at Christian Park! Pass in the Park is a partnership among the Indianapolis Colts, Peace in the Streets, Front Porch Alliance, Indy Parks & Recreation, and D.R.E.A.M. Alive Inc.
A $50,000 grant awarded to the Indianapolis Parks Foundation from the NFL-Grassroots field grant program supported upgrades to the football field at Christian Park. The grant, awarded by the Indianapolis Colts, National Football League, NFL Players Association and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, was part of $2.4 million in field refurbishment awards allocated in 2007 to community groups in 20 cities nationwide.
"This program is a great way to promote social development and is a valuable teammate in our efforts to create safe and strong communities," said Mayor Greg Ballard. "I am proud of our partnerships and the investment these organizations are making in our football field at Christian Park."
Improvements to Christian Park included improved drainage systems and a concession area as well as a new irrigation system and goal posts. Indy Parks & Recreation provided the match funding to complete the project.
"We are very excited to have the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts make two significant investments in our communities in partnership with LISC," said Bill Taft, LISC Executive Director. "Community football fields are an integral part of creating safe, viable and healthy communities, and the investment in Christian Park and other fields demonstrate the importance of youth recreation in the overall revitalization of neighborhoods."
The 42-foot-long Indianapolis Colts' traveling museum Colts in Motion will be at the field from noon to 2 p.m. along with Colts cheerleaders signing autographs and live music entertainment provided by Toy Factory. The Christian Park Youth Football League will play their regularly scheduled games in the morning and afternoon and sell concessions from the concession stand. During the Pass in the Park event, the youth football league athletes will participate in drills on the field.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Pass in the Park
Date: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
Time: Noon to 2 p.m.; REMARKS BEGIN AT 1:30 P.M. Place: Christian Park Football Field; 4200 English Ave., Indianapolis, IN
Note: 4200 to 4700 blocks of English Avenue will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fletcher Avenue will be used as a traffic detour.
Who:
- Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams
- Indianapolis Colts in Motion and Colts cheerleaders
- Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry
- Former Colts offensive tackle Tarik Glenn and D.R.E.A.M. Alive Inc.
- Indianapolis Parks Foundation Executive Director Cindy Porteous
- Local Initiatives Support Cooperation Executive Director Bill Taft
- Christian Park Youth Football League
About the NFL Youth Football Fund
Established in 1998 by the NFL and the NFLPA, the NFL Youth Football Fund seeks to use football as a catalyst to promote positive youth development, support youth and high school football needs nationwide and also ensure the health of grassroots football in future generations. Through the YFF, many youth football initiatives and support programs have been developed, providing youngsters with opportunities to learn the game of football, get physically fit and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors. The fund is administered through an innovative partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. In the past 10 years, the NFL Football Fund has contributed $12.5 million to restore or build more than 100 community fields in areas surrounding the 32 NFL markets, which has helped leverage another $42 million in community contributions for these projects.
About LISC
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize underserved neighborhoods through their offices around the country. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $7.1 billion to build or rehab nearly 196,000 affordable homes and develop 27 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
About Christian Park
Christian Park is a 73-acre community park that includes a football field, baseball fields, playground, spray pool, greenway trail and community center. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a component of the 3,400-acre historic Indianapolis Park and Boulevard system. The football field at Christian Park, established more than 30 years ago, is used by the Christian Park Neighborhood Council, a group of local residents who manage youth programming, including the Christian Park Youth Football League. About 200 children are registered in the CPYFL football and cheerleading programs.
About the Indianapolis Parks Foundation
The Indianapolis Parks Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the recreational, educational and cultural life of the Indianapolis community by fostering support for the Department of Parks & Recreation in Indianapolis. Over the past 17 years, IPF has provided more than $11 million in private funding for programming, maintenance, capital needs and land acquisition.
About D.R.E.A.M. Alive Inc.
D.R.E.A.M Alive Inc. was founded in 2001 by Tarik Glenn and his wife Maya. Maya and Tarik established D.R.E.A.M. Alive as a way for them to give back to the citizens of Indianapolis, a city that embraced Tarik when he played for the Indianapolis Colts. D.R.E.A.M. Alive Inc. was created as a public charity committed to improving the opportunities for advancement for underserved youth in Indianapolis through direct programs and services. From day one, Tarik and Maya have been actively involved in ensuring that D.R.E.A.M. Alive continues to be a consistent and positive organization in the lives of Indianapolis youth and their families.
