LEXINGTON, Ky. and TEMPE, Ariz. –
NCAA Football today announced that on behalf of its
Youth Initiative and legacy program, it will donate $50,000 to the
Benedict Sports Complex in alliance with the
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The donation will assist with major facility upgrades and will benefit thousands of Tempe-area youth who utilize the field each season. A check presentation will take place during a press conference at the Benedict Sports Complex on Jan. 8, 2011, two days before the
2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.
Benedict Sports Complex, a 20-acre multipurpose sports facility located in the heart of Tempe, Ariz., is one of the most popular facilities in the Tempe park system. NCAA Football’s donation will be used to replace lighting panels that were damaged in a fire last spring as well as refurbish field surfaces, bleachers and irrigation systems.
“Well developed and maintained facilities are essential to the success of youth sports programs,” said Mark Womack, president, NCAA Football. “We are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to such a popular facility in Tempe, and we look forward to seeing the field improvements that will benefit the many young athletes who use the complex each season.”
“Benedict Sports Complex and the city of Tempe are a perfect fit for the NCAA Football legacy program,” said Duane Woods, board chairman, Fiesta Bowl. “We are grateful for the generosity of NCAA Football and the city of Tempe in helping to significantly upgrade these fields. This partnership will benefit local youth for generations to come.”
NCAA Football’s donation is the latest legacy gift awarded to the host city of the
BCS National Championship Game. Last year, a donation was made to the
Robinson Park project in Pasadena, led by the
Tournament of the Roses Committee, and in 2008, NCAA Football contributed to the
Moore Park project, led by the city of Miami and the
Orange Bowl Committee.
“One of NCAA Football’s core objectives is to support and enhance youth football through our Youth Initiative’s legacy program,” said Bob Vecchione, chair, NCAA Football Youth Initiative. “By revitalizing and repairing parks and fields, we are able to reach a tremendous amount of young athletes at the community level. The upgrades to the Benedict Sports Complex will benefit more than 3,000 youth participants, whom we hope will find their passion for football while playing at the new and improved facility.”
NCAA Football’s Youth Initiative began in 2007 when the organization made a $750,000 commitment to help rebuild the New Orleans Recreation Department's youth football league following Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, NCAA Football committed $1.5 million to develop a three-pronged national youth program comprising
youth day clinics,
apparel grants and a
legacy gift. More than 7,000 young athletes have been positively impacted since the program’s inception.
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About NCAA Football
NCAA Football USA, Inc. represents a coalition of the
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA), the
Football Bowl Association (FBA), the
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the
National Football Foundation (NFF) and serves as the collective voice to promote college football. NCAA Football is managed by
IMG College, a division of
IMG Worldwide. For more information on NCAA Football, visit
www.NCAAFootball.com.
About the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
This year marks the 40th anniversary for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. On Saturday, January 1, 2011, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will host Big East champion Connecticut vs. Big 12 Champion Oklahoma. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. (MST) from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, as well as aired on ESPN Radio. For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, please visit the official website at
http://www.fiestabowl.org/index.php.