The Milford Exempted Village School District has been granted $250,000 by the Cincinnati Bengals through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program to install an artificial turf field at Milford's Charity J. Lucas Memorial Field, a multi-purpose athletic facility.

The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program – a partnership between the Bengals, the NFL Foundation and LISC- is part of an ongoing program to distribute over $2.5 million to local schools. Other local schools who have already received funding from this program include South Avondale Elementary School, Bishop Brossart, Clinton-Massie High School, Covington Catholic High School, Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School, Harrison High School, La Salle High School, Lockland High School, Oak Hills High School, Taylor High School, Withrow University High School and Midway Elementary School. 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.

This grant from the Bengals, the NFL Foundation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is part of $6 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year to communities across the country.

"Ensuring youth have access to participate in football and other activities has always been important to our organization and we are pleased to continue this through our support of Milford and their efforts to create a fun and safe space to serve their community," said Alex Simons, Bengals Director of Community Engagement. "We look forward to seeing the finished project and the positive impact this field will have on youth for years to come."

"We are so grateful for the Bengals support helping make this project a reality for our student-athletes," says John Spieser, Superintendent of Milford Exempted Village Schools. "Milford has a proud history of athletic excellence, and it is our dream that this turf project will provide a high-performance stage on which our athletes can continue to train and to win. Along with constant support from our Milford Athletic Boosters, this Bengals NFL Grassroots Grant is providing the means for Milford athletes to achieve and succeed for generations to come."

Aaron Zupka, Milford's Athletic Director, added "We've been working on this turf project for over five years and the many fundraising challenges during the pandemic prevented us from getting to the finish line. This grant couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I'm excited about the additional opportunities we can now provide the Milford Community because of this project through enriching, life changing extracurricular activities for all ages."

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.

"LISC Greater Cincinnati works with residents and partners to forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families," said Kristen Baker, Executive Director of LISC Greater Cincinnati. "We could not be more pleased than to support our youth in this community."

*About the NFL Foundation *
The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit 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 and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.

About LISC
LISC is one the country's largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and local economies can thrive. Since our founding, LISC has invested $24 billion to create more than 436,320 affordable homes and apartments, develop 74.4 million square feet of retail, community and educational space. For more, visit www.lisc.org.