The Dallas Cowboys, through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program, have granted $250,000 to Behind Every Door to install a synthetic turf football field at the Cedar Crest Community Center in Dallas' South Oak Cliff neighborhood.
The Cedar Crest Community Center, previously owned by The Salvation Army, is a 50-year staple of the South Oak Cliff community, the Cowboys said.
The eight-acre property includes a 20,000-square-foot community center, a 4,000-square-foot church building, a full-size football field, and a playground area.
According to the Dallas Cowboys, the grant is part of $6 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.
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The new multi-sport playing field will serve community members and students from three schools within a mile of the new facility, the Cowboys said.
More than 1,000 teens and children attend school in the neighboring community.
The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, has supported the construction or renovation of 416 football fields nationwide since 1998.
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During that time, the NFL Foundation has granted nearly $58 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods. The fields are newly built or significantly renovated with improvements like irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts, and turf.
Grassroots grants are issued once established funding thresholds are reached for each project.
"The Dallas Cowboys are proud to partner with the NFL Foundation and LISC to bring a new turf football field to the youth of South Oak Cliff," said Charlotte Jones, Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer. "We want every child to have the opportunity to play the game of football in a safe and supportive environment and Behind Every Door has stepped in to create a positive place for kids to grow and transform their lives."
According to the Cowboys, 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 Cowboys said. The agencies oversee the construction, maintenance, and programming of the fields.
"Outdoor recreation, and the health benefits that come with it, is in high demand throughout the country," said Beverly Smith, LISC's vice president of Sports & Recreation. "This new field at Cedar Crest Community Center - like all of those that the Grassroots Program has established over the years - will provide opportunities for young people to compete in a safe, healthy, structured environment."
