RACHAEL BARTON CONCERT!
Come and help Lane Tech celebrate 100 years!
This world renowned violinist will be playing on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 7pm in Lane's auditorium.
Tickets are on sale at the Lane office.
See link to Chicago Tribune on links page.
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New lights were installed in both Gym 2 and Gym 3 by the Fields of Dreams Committee. Gym 2 is the Adventure Gym and is also used for many of our athletic teams for practice. Prior to installation of new lights, it was difficult to see the other end of the gym on cloudy days. It is now a much more safe environment.
Gym 3 is used for all freshman P.E. classes as well as our Wrestling team. All home wrestling meets are held in this gym and it is now a much better facility.
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LANE TECH FIELDS OF DREAMS
PASTA FUND-RAISING DINNER
Please help show your support for the athletes of Lane Tech:
When: Saturday, February 2nd
Where: Lane Tech Lunchroom
Time: 6:00PM
Menu:Pasta, sausage, meatballs, salad, bread, refreshments
Cost: $10.00 per ticket
Athletes will be give a minimum of two tickets for purchase – one for themselves and one for their parent/guardian. All family members are encouraged to attend.
We will have four serving lines this year so that attendees will not have to wait too long to enjoy their dinner.
The Lane Tech orchestra will be providing entertainment after dinner.
We’ll be selling tickets for raffle prizes.
There will be a dance afterwards in the school gym for the athletes. Athletes must attend the dinner for admittance to the dance.
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2007 HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER PARTY!
The Fields of Dreams Committee cordially invites you to show your support of our champions by attending this fund-raising gala event which will be a night of fun and celebration with great food, spirits and positive fellowship.
Come One Come All !
Holiday Celebration
Cubby Bears
966 West Addison, Chicago, IL 60613
• Beer, Pop and Cash Bar
• Banquet Style Food
When: December 2, 2007
Time: 4:00 p.m. til 8:00 p.m.
$20 per person donation for advance tickets; pick up tickets at the door.
Make checks payable to Lane Tech Fields of Dreams, c/o Lane Tech High School, FOD mailbox, 2501 W. Addison, Chicago 60618
or
paypal credit card at
http://www.lanetechdonation.com
If paying by paypal please send an email to Marie Goss (mgoss@lanetechfieldsofdreams.com) to confirm the names of those who will be attending.
$25 at the door
All proceeds go to the renovation of Lane Tech Athletic Facilities
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A Historic Night
On Friday, September 7, we walked onto the newly re-furbished Lane Tech Stadium. In about one half hour, dignitaries would be arriving from various parts of the city.
Politicians, heads of boards, businessmen, educators and of course, news media. All here to witness the ribbon cutting as it were for this most significant event.
Among those in attendance were Michael and Patrick McCaskey from the Chicago Bears, Rufus Williams and David Pickens from CPS, The Honorable Reverend Rice, John Borovicka from Congressman Rahm Emanuel’s office, Alderman Eugene Schulter, Jeanne Lenti-Ponsetto from DePaul University, various members from the LISC, the NFL Grassroots Program, the Lane Tech Century Foundation and, well let’s just say that the entire list of dignitaries was impressive to say the least.
Tonight the Lane Tech football team would play against Chicago Vocational. Our first home game of the season. Our first game on this new state of the art fieldturf.
As we stared in amazement, our thoughts took us back to two years ago, when on a hot July evening the auditorium was filled with upwards of 200 people.
On that night a decision was made by parents who were concerned for the welfare of their children.
On that night we let the world know that it was no longer acceptable for our champions to risk their health by practicing on a field of broken glass and debris.
On that night the Lane Tech Fields of Dreams Committee was born.
To be sure, we met with resistance and obstacles. But since we were united in focus and intent, and because our goal was rooted in righteousness, we knew even then that this night would come.
I happened to be on the field this last Wednesday night watching the football team practice. One of the young men had written on the back of his jersey, these words:
“All the power on Earth cannot stop DESTINY”.
On Friday, September 7ththose words were given testimony.
As we looked out at that field, we were filled with a sense of inner peace.
As we watched everyone come in and felt the excitement in the air – an undisputable excitement rooted in the truth of those words… and we knew that many of us were thinking the same thing.
We had critics in the beginning. They laughed at us… they scorned us… they resisted us. They said it was impossible. They said it couldn’t be done. They even tried to condemn our precious stadium.
But on Friday, September 7ththe world was put on notice just as it was two years ago that “we are NOT going away”.
This dream, this vision, this destiny will become a reality and a legacy to our Lane Tech Champions and to all the beautiful young people in our city.
On Friday, September 7ththe world witnessed a magnificent milestone.
On this historic night, the vision caught fire in such a way that even those who resisted us in the beginning are now cheering us on to victory.
But the work is not over… we still have much work to do.
We’re looking forward to two more historic nights – the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new track and field in spring 2008 and the ribbon cutting ceremony for the final renovation of Lane Tech Stadium in fall 2008.
Join us in our quest to complete our dream of an athletic campus that will compliment the stately grounds of Lane Tech High School…a baseball stadium, girl’s softball field, and practice fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball. These state of the art facilities will be worthy of the spirit of those who will compete on it… those champions who give our lives meaning.
Thank you.
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The Unveiling of Lane Technical High School’s
Renovated Football Field
FACT SHEETSeptember 2007
What:
Ø On Friday, September 7, 2007 Lane Tech played its first home game of the season on a newly renovated field.
Ø Representatives from LISC/Chicago, Chicago Bears, Chicago Public Schools and Lane Tech Fields of Dreams Committee gathered at the stadium to celebrate the completion and watched as the football team ran through a red ribbon and warmed up with the Chicago Bears prior to the game.
Project Details:
Ø This summer, Lane Tech’s 65 year-old grass playing field was replaced with a more durable synthetic surface and new stadium lighting was installed, the first phase of a total stadium renovation.
Ø The new turf and field lighting represent the first two phases of a three phase project that will include a new running track, baseball stadium and practice fields for softball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and tennis.
Partners/Sponsors:
Ø The field renovation was the result of a $200,000 grant from the Grassroots Program, a collaboration among the NFL Youth Football Fund, the NFL Players Association and Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Ø Created in 1998 by the National Football League, the NFL Players Association and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the Grassroots Program refurbishes old playing fields and creates new ones in urban neighborhoods throughout the country.
Ø The grant was matched by funds from CPS and Lane Tech’s Century Foundation, Football Booster Club and Fields of Dreams Committee, a group of parents and coaches from Lane Tech working to provide state of the art athletic facilities to students at Lane Tech High School.
Grassroots Program Accomplishments:
Ø Since its inception, the Grassroots Program has helped nonprofit organizations bring youth sports to more than 60,000 inner-city children with the development of nearly 150 community football fields and facilities in urban neighborhoods.
Ø Lane Tech is the fifth Chicago-based organization to receive a grant for the development of playing fields through the NFL Grassroots Programs. Others include New City YMCA (Near North), North River Commission (Albany Park), Woodlawn Preservation and Investment (Woodlawn) and Parkways Foundation (Calumet Heights).
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Contact:
Megan Lee, MK Communications
(312) 822-0505, mlee@mkcpr.com;
Caroline Guip Schrenker, Chicago Bears
(847) 739-5364, carolineg@bears.nfl.com;
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Caroline Goldstein, LISC
(312) 697-6455, cgoldstein@lisc.org;
Stephen Wilkins, CPS
(773) 553-3793, smwilkins@cps.k12.wi.usLong AwaitedConstruction Begins at Lane Tech Stadium
New Field and Track to Enhance Opportunities for Local Athletes
Chicago, IL (June 28, 2007) – After 65 years of virtually non-stop use, Lane Tech Stadium on Chicago’s north side needed a makeover. Now, after months of work by parents and school administrators to find resources, work has begun on the long-awaited renovation of the stadium.
By the Fall of 2007, athletes will have a new artificial turf field on which to play and a new track on which to run thanks to grants and support from a variety of local and national entities including the Chicago Bears, the NFL, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago (CLISC), Chicago Public Schools, the Field of Dreams Project of the Lane Tech Century Foundation, and DePaul University.
Unlike real grass athletic fields, which require periods of rest so the grass can rejuvenate itself, artificial turf typically holds up to year-round use. The new field will allow Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District to schedule far more events than were previously possible and thus open it up to greater school/community participation.
The field is expected to be completed in September, in time for part of the school’s football season. The first games, set to begin the weekend of Aug. 24, will be held at other schools until the stadium is ready.
Rich Rio, Lane Technical High School’s athletic director and head football coach, credits the NFL, LISC, Chicago Public School System, DePaul and Lane Tech’s Fields of Dreams Project (a committee of the Lane Tech Century Foundation) with the refurbishment. DePaul will become a long-term tenant and use the new track for its intercollegiate teams.
“The entire stadium needed to be redone, so Fields of Dreams and CPS got in touch with the NFL, and we were fortunate enough to get its support,” Rio said. “The Bears and LISC were a catalyst for all of this.”
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CALLING ALL FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF LANETECH AND THE NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY! The Fields of Dreams Committee is seeking $1 Million for a baseball stadium to be built at Lane Tech High School. We would like to see this completed by Spring, 2008. Please put out the message to alumni, private businesses, the public sector, and anyone who might help!
ESTE ES UNA LLAMADA A LOS AMIGOS DE LANE TECH Y A LOS VECINOS DE LA COMUNIDAD DEL NORTE. El comite Fields of Dreams se propone recaudar la cifra de $1,000,000 para la construccion de un estadio de beisbol en la escuela Lane Tech. Nos gustaria tener este estadio para la primavera del ano 2008. Por favor, comparta este mensaje con ex-alumnos, empresas publlicas y privadas, y otras personas que puedan colaborar.
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CHICAGO BEARS COMMIT $200,000 FOR NEW SYNTHETIC TURF FOOTBALL FIELD AT
LANE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Award is Part of $2.4 Million in New Grants to Athletic Fields Nationwide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Guip (Bears) (847) 739-5364
Adina Ellis (NFL), (212) 450-2435
Gordon Walek (LISC), (312) 697-6183
Carl Francis (NFLPA), (202) 463-2216
CHICAGO (January 25, 2007) – The grass football field at Lane Technical High School will be replaced with a synthetic playing surface, thanks in part to a $200,000 grant from the NFL Grassroots field grant program, it was announced today.
The grant, awarded by the Chicago Bears, National Football League, NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to Chicago Public Schools, is part of $2.4 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year to community groups in 20 cities nationwide. Since 1999, a total of $545,000 in NFL Grassroots refurbishment grants have been applied to community fields in Chicago.
“The Chicago Bears are proud to continue to support local projects that improve fields, football development and bring families and communities together through football,” said Caroline Guip, Chicago Bears Director of Community Relations.
The NFL Grassroots program is funded by the NFL Youth Football Fund (YFF), a non-profit foundation established by the NFL and the NFLPA to support the game at the youth level and promote positive youth development. Since 1998, the NFL Grassroots program has provided more than $17 million to help community organizations build, or rebuild, 155 youth fields in more than 40 cities, typically in neighborhoods where funding sources are few and far between.
In addition to the installation of the synthetic turf field, the renovation of the Lane Technical High School football field also will include a new running track and new lighting. The NFL Grassroots grant will be matched by Chicago Public Schools and its partner organizations, including the Lane Tech Football Booster Club, the Field of Dreams Committee, the Lane Tech Century Foundation, the Chicago Force, and the Chicago Park District.
“These fields are a critical part of our efforts to create sustainable communities – places where people want to live, work and raise families,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC’s president and CEO. “Through their contributions, the NFL and NFLPA are not only creating places for young people to compete in football and other sports, they’re also making countless neighborhoods better and stronger.”
Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA’s executive director, agrees. “The NFL and the NFLPA are proud to assist communities where young people aspire to play football,” he said. “This program allows us to make an immediate impact in neighborhoods where assistance is most needed.”
Other communities receiving NFL Grassroots awards during this funding round are: Baltimore, MD; Brooklyn, NY; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Dickson, TN.; Durham, NC; East St. Louis, IL; Hollywood, FL; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL.; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Newark, NJ; Phoenix, AZ; Providence, RI; St. Paul, MN; San Diego, CA; and Seattle, WA.
About The NFL Youth Football Fund
Established in 1998 by the NFL and the NFLPA, the NFL Youth Football Fund seeks to use football as a catalyst to promote positive youth development, support youth and high school football needs nationwide and also ensure the health of grassroots football in future generations. Through the YFF, many youth football initiatives and support programs have been developed, providing youngsters with opportunities to learn the game of football, get physically fit and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors.
Innovative and effective youth football programs have resulted from teaming with organizations like LISC on the NFL Grassroots program. The YFF also supports the National Youth Football Partners which include the Amateur Athletic Union, American Youth Football, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jewish Community Centers Association, National Police Athletic League, National Recreation & Park Association, Pop Warner Little Scholars and YMCA of the USA. Additionally, the NFL and NFLPA endowed USA Football, a non-profit organization created to help youth football organizations keep the sport fun, safe and accessible. It provides resources focused on youth league enhancement, coaching education, officiating development and health and safety awareness.
About LISC
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize underserved neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $7.1 billion to build or rehab nearly 196,000 affordable homes and develop 27 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
About Lane Technical High School
Lane Technical High School, located in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, has a diverse student body, 59 percent of whom are from low-income households. Lane Stadium, built in the 1940s and featured in the movie “Wildcats,” is a Chicago landmark.
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Stadium Press Release: