Grand Rapids — The Ottawa Hills High School football team received funds to purchase new equipment, thanks to the Detroit Lions and other community partners.
The team was awarded $20,000 through the Touchdown in Your Town program grant during the Lions’ Aug. 11 preseason opener against the New York Giants, according to a Sept. 6 statement from Grand Rapids Public Schools.
The grant application was written by Christian Verley, former Ottawa Hills football coach and current GRPS school renewal specialist. Verley accepted an oversized check on the team’s behalf during the Aug. 11 game.
Verley said in the statement that the $20,000 will go toward “much-needed field equipment to help scholar-athletes practice with state-of-the-art football equipment.”
Touchdown in Your Town is presented through a partnership between the Lions, Kroger, the United Dairy Industry and Planet Fitness. Its purpose is to benefit high school football programs throughout the state.
Student athletes took a trip to Ford Field to tour the facility, watch the game and celebrate the program’s financial boost.
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