FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Baltimore Ravens All Community Team Foundation joins owner Steve Bisciotti, CB Chris McAlister and the NFL Youth Football Fund to finance a $1 million renovation of the football stadium at Baltimore City's Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School (Mervo) this summer. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. at the Mervo field.
The summer project will include the installation of a new Sportexe field turf (like the one at M&T Bank Stadium), additional home/away bleachers to double the stadium's capacity and a ticket booth structure. The total cost of the project is approximately $1 million.
The renovation will allow more Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) football teams to play games on a safer, durable surface, in front of family and friends. In addition to high school football games, the stadium will also be home to the Northwood Football League, which serves 300 youth, ages 5-14, annually through its football and cheerleading programs.
The project continues the Ravens' commitment to youth football in Baltimore. In 2006, the Ravens joined the NFL and additional Baltimore-area donors in renovating the Lumsden-Scott Stadium at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute/Western High School. Since then, the stadium has grossed more than $100,000 in ticket sales and concessions, funding which was put back into the school system athletics' programs. In 2005, the team's charitable foundation purchased home and away uniforms for every varsity football program in the BCPSS. Bisciotti and LB Ray Lewis combined efforts to fund the purchase of Riddell helmets that year, as well.
Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon will join Ravens CB Chris McAlister (who made a six-figure donation to the Mervo project) and Ravens president Dick Cass in celebrating the groundbreaking of the construction at Mervo on Tuesday. Representatives from Mervo, the Baltimore City Council and BCPSS School Board will also be in attendance.
WHO:Pro Bowl CB Chris McAlister, Ravens president Dick Cass, Mayor Sheila Dixon, BCPSS representatives
WHAT: Mervo Football Stadium Renovation Groundbreaking Ceremony
WHEN: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mervo High School
3500 Hillen Road
Baltimore, MD 21218
