Browns to Help Cleveland Schools Refurbish Athletic Fields with High-Quality Synthetic Turf

Five Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) fields will be receiving high-quality synthetic turf over the next two years courtesy of Dee and Jimmy Haslam.

Work on two of the fields will begin this month with help from CMSD, The Browns, and the City of Cleveland.

“Since making Cleveland our home, we have focused on improving football and education for the entire region. By installing these five synthetic turf fields within CMSD, we are able to combine those two passions to give our youth, schools and communities year-round access to the resources they deserve,” the Haslams said in a statement.

“In addition to how these types of projects and participation in sports can help motivate students to attend school and succeed in the classroom, playing youth and high school football offers our city’s children unique opportunities to develop teamwork, character and life skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, as well as the City of Cleveland’s future.”

The project isn't only about football. The Senate League fields, available to all CMSD schools, will be lined to accommodate multiple sports to offer more students opportunities to benefit from the upgraded playing surfaces.

Through the project, the Cleveland Muny League, CMSD physical education classes and local community members will now receive additional access to the fields, given many time limitations related to grass field maintenance have been eliminated with the implementation of synthetic turf.

“This project provides opportunities to our young people, and partners like the Cleveland Browns help us invest in and provide the resources our students need to succeed,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson.

Roye Kidd Field (May 16-Aug. 2016)

James F. Rhodes Field (May 23- Aug. 2016)

John Adams Field (2017)

John Marshall Field (2017)

Bump Taylor Field (timeline TBD)

See the full statement on clevelandbrowns.com.

[Image credit: @Browns Twitter account]