DETROIT-The Detroit Lions, along with the NFL Foundation, have awarded the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) grants totaling $750,000 over the course of five years to aid in the completion of their new headquarters and athletic facilities at 'The Corner Ballpark,' otherwise known as Tiger Stadium and former home of both the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers.
Detroit Lions Charities will be giving a grant of $500,000 towards The Corner Ballpark's Hall of Heroes, on-deck plate and home locker room. The NFL Foundation's $250,000 grant will support the football field turf and installation.
"The Detroit Police Athletic League is a key component to Detroit Lions Charities programming efforts as well as a touchstone to the greater community," said Detroit Lions Team President Rod Wood. "It was important to the Detroit Lions organization, along with the NFL Foundation, to award this grant to Kids at the Corner campaign to support the vital work they do with youth athletes in Detroit."
Aside from the grant, the Detroit Lions' support of Detroit PAL spans decades. Most recently in 2017, the Lions donated office equipment from The New Ford Field $100 million renovation for The Corner Ballpark, held a Lions Rookie Development Football Clinic over the summer with PAL athletes and the 2017 Detroit Lions rookie class, hosted a Homecoming Football Clinic with Lions Legends, as well as donated football uniforms in conjunction with the Quick Lane Bowl. Ford Field also hosts the PAL Football Championships each November. In 2016, the team donated a significant amount of weight training equipment for PAL athletes to use at their new training center.
The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program is a partnership of the National Football League Foundation (NFL Foundation) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields. The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program provides grants of up to $250,000 for capital improvement projects.
More info about the Kids at the Corner Campaign:
- The Detroit Lions will receive name recognition in The Corner Ballpark's Hall of Heroes, on-deck plate and home locker room.
- The synthetic turf is installed, the stadium lights are up, and the building is close to completion. Detroit PAL is moving into the stadium in February.
- A Grand Opening is set for spring 2018.
- The new stadium will include the Willie Horton Field of Dreams presented by Meijer. Baseball, softball, t-ball, coach pitch, soccer, football, cheerleading, and more will be played on the field. The field will also host community events for the region.
- The Corner Ballpark will include the Detroit PAL headquarters, a leadership training center/banquet facility, the Willie Horton Field of Dreams, seating for 2,000 spectators, locker rooms, lights, and a concourse with concession stands.
- Detroit PAL has raised more than $19 million since launching the Kids at the Corner campaign in February 2015, and the organization continues to serve more and more kids each year with over 13,800 participants in 2017 alone.
