A field of promise at Bradley Elementary School
New soccer field could mean extracurricular program expansion
A group of unlikely partners may have come together Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Bradley Elementary School’s new state-of-the-art soccer field but it was the students that stole the show.
When asked by Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund representative Eileen Kean what they thought of their new soccer field there was a resounding show of enthusiasm.
When Kean asked, “Who’s going to score a goal on this field,” the entire elementary school children gathered there raised their hands and shouted “I will.”
Made possible through the United Arab Emirates [UAE] $4.5 million grant to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund [HSNJRF] and its partnership with the Affordable Housing Alliance [AHA], the regulation and all-weather field will be used in the immediate by the school district’s middle and high school students.
“The new field at Bradley Elementary School is a small gesture to help support the Asbury Park community as it continues to grow and thrive,” said Dana Al Marashi [at right], head of the Heritage and Social Affairs Department at the UAE Embassy. “Almost three years ago the entire world watched as close knit communities along the east coast were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. As friends often do in a time of need, the UAE government was moved to help and assist with the recovery and rebuilding efforts as we have with other disasters around the United States.
Asbury School District Superintendent Dr. Lamont Repollet said the school district will look to grow their soccer program next year by creating an intermural program for elementary aged students.
“It is through efforts such as this that we are able to fulfill our vision of building a better future for the students and the community of Asbury Park,” Repollet said. “In order to fulfill this vision we must not only provide a positive learning environment but also promote physical activity. Studies have shown a direct correlation between a child’s physical and mental health.”
This is the 8th soccer field in the nation sponsored by the UAE Embassy and the second of its kind in New Jersey. The 2013 grant to the HSNJRF, chaired by First Lady Mary Pat Christie, has helped repair and enhance the technological capabilities of public schools in areas impacted by the storm.
Marashi said, thus far the funds have been distributed to 30 public schools, benefitting 20,000 students.
Affordable Housing Alliance Chief Opaerating Officer Derrick Griggs, an Asbury native, said the soccer field will serve as quality recreational opportunity for the community and its youth.
School Board President Rev. Geneva Smallwood said any community group can request approval for use of the field when it’s not in use by the district.
[Photos courtesy of the Affordable Housing Alliance]
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