Staff Reports | Free Press Philanthropy
The 75,000-square-foot playing field from the 2024 Rate Bowl — a 44-41 Kansas State come-from-behind victory over Rutgers – officially has a new home at Western School of Science and Technology.
The Fiesta Sports Foundation, in partnership with BHHS Legacy Foundation and Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority (AZSTA), donated the turf to the Phoenix public charter school servicing the Maryvale neighborhood, according to a press release.
For the last 10 years, a natural grass playing surface has been installed in Chase Field for the Rate Bowl and after the game is later transported to a community around the state in need of a new and improved play space. Western School of Science and Technology is the 10th field donation, with previous fields installed at elementary schools, nonprofit organizations and city parks in Phoenix, Avondale, Laveen, Glendale, Bullhead City and Fort Mohave, the release states.
The day after Kansas State’s victory on Dec, 26, the playing field was transported to the school and was subsequently installed on Jan. 3. Of the 10 total football field donations by Fiesta Sports Foundation, this marks the first at an Arizona high school.
In addition to the Rate Bowl natural grass field, Fiesta Sports Foundation also installed a multi-sport court for the school. The 4,000-square-foot sport court, Fiesta Sports Foundation’s third such project following sport courts at Boys & Girls Club of the Colorado River in Fort Mohave and O’Neil Park in Glendale, completes the Fiesta Sports Foundation Sports Complex at Western School of Science & Technology.
The sports complex also includes the installation of a new solar scoreboard and bleachers, Fiesta Sports Foundation officials report. Western School of Science and Technology’s previous football field did not include a scoreboard nor spectator seating.
After the program and official ribbon cutting, Fiesta Sports Foundation hosted a football clinic with coaching by members of Western School of Science and Technology’s high school boys football and girls flag football teams.
Clinic participants included 75 children from Pioneer Preparatory School and middle school students from Western School of Science and Technology.
