Bears set to help unveil new field for Chicago high school

Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije and Bears official Patrick McCaskey will help unveil Orr Academy's newly renovated football field and track during a special dedication ceremony Saturday at the Chicago High School.

The renovation was made with assistance from the NFL Grassroots Program, the Chicago Bears, LISC/Chicago and Orr Academy. McCaskey is senior director of special projects for the Bears.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the school, 730 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago.

Following the ceremony, Idonije will visit with the Orr Academy football players and help them prepare for their first home game of the season, which will kick off at 2 p.m. against Wauconda High School.

This project was made possible in part by a $200,000 matching grant from the NFL Grassroots Program to the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL). AUSL is a nonprofit school management and teacher training organization that operates in partnership with the Chicago Public Schools. Orr Academy is one of AUSL's turnaround schools and reopened under AUSL management in 2008.

The funding was used to replace the grass football field with a synthetic sports surface and surrounding track. The new field and track will be available to all athletic activities at Orr Academy, and the field will be home to an elementary school football program that includes 11 schools and more than 200 participants.

Bears Care, the charitable beneficiary of the Chicago Bears, recently awarded a $30,000 grant to AUSL, making it possible for this football program to be expanded to 14 elementary schools beginning with the 2009 school year.

The NFL Grassroots grant, awarded by the Bears, the NFL Youth Football Fund (YFF) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year.

This marks the third consecutive year that a Chicago area high school received a $200,000 grant through this program.