The Bengals, the NFL and the Local Initiatives Support Corp., (LISC) announced on Thursday that they are providing Covington Catholic with a $200,000 grant for a field replacement project at the high school.
The project, which includes installation of a synthetic playing surface for the school and community, is to be unveiled at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 before the kickoff of the Covington Catholic-Beechwood High School game at Wooten Field in Park Hills, Ky.
Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn and Bob Bedinghaus, the club's director of development, are scheduled to present the NFL Foundation Grassroots Grant.
Also scheduled to be on hand are representatives from LISC Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. Most Reverend Roger J. Foys, Bishop of Covington, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Covington Michael Clines, principal Bob Rowe, and athletic director Mike Guidugli anchor a contingent that includes members of the school board and capital campaign committee. Also participating are representatives of the Colonel Youth Football program.
"We are happy to continue to support local youth football and especially pleased to play a role in this project. With this grant we have invested more than $1.8 million in funding for football fields in the greater Cincinnati area over the past several years," Blackburn said in a news release.
While maintenance of the field is accounted for in general operating budgets, the cost of replacement is not. The remaining cost will be paid by private funds raised via the school's capital campaign, "Bright Minds…Bright Future."
"We are grateful to the NFL, LISC, the Bengals, and especially the Brown family for this wonderful gift," Rowe said on behalf of the school. "This grant will allow us to achieve our goal of providing our student athletes and youth football program with a first-class stadium. Projects like this bring enthusiasm and pride to the school community and engage all stakeholders. We are blessed and honored to be partners with these most generous organizations who continue to put our youth at the center."
