Eagles, VIPs Celebrate Extreme Makeover of Gambrel Field, Home of Pop Warner's Frankford Chargers

    PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheering Frankford Chargers, a
 ceremonial stage full of VIPs, a sparkling new green football field, and a
 beautiful outdoor mural gave a warm welcome to "Invincible" legend Vince
 Papale, Eagles' Quarterback AJ Feeley, former Eagle DE Hugh Douglas, SWOOP
 and Eagles cheerleaders to celebrate the dedication of Gambrel Field on a
 breezy, cloudless Saturday in the Frankford Section of Philadelphia.
     It was all part of the finale of "Home Field Advantage," co-produced by
 Phil Tuckett and Rick Horrow, which will be shown on the Fox Sports
 Network. The program, hosted by Vince Papale and FSN anchor Laura Okmin, is
 themed around identifying an American community youth sports facility in a
 state of extreme disrepair, and remaking it into a top-notch sports center
 for kids in need. The pilot episode focuses on what was Philadelphia's
 downtrodden Billy Gambrel Recreation Center, longtime home of Pop Warner's
 Frankford Chargers, Philadelphia's "winningest" youth football team, and a
 local force since 1967.
     Over its 46 years, the recreation center has suffered through urban
 blight and lack of funds. Gambrel Field was littered with rocks and glass,
 the goalposts were lopsided three-inch plumbing pipes, and the turf was
 creased with the deep treads of trespassing all-terrain vehicles.
     Eagles owner and CEO Jeffrey Lurie toured the site earlier this year
 and pledged support for the project during the Eagles 75th Anniversary
 Season.
     This summer's collaborative victory was the result of the hard work and
 leadership of the City of Philadelphia, City Council, Fox Sports, Comcast
 Spectacor and the Philadelphia Eagles. $1.5 million worth of materials,
 services and human resources were donated by more than a dozen
 organizations.
     Seventh District Councilman Daniel Savage led negotiations with various
 government agencies and allocated $200,000 from his district capital
 funding to ensure the project's ultimate success. Over several weeks,
 installation of a modern AstoTurf field, bleachers, new fencing, goal
 posts, a state-of-the- art scoreboard and other first-class amenities,
 transformed the facility for Pop Warner Little Scholars.
     Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program (MAP) artists, under executive
 director Jane Golden, also created a brand new mural for the center in
 honor of the team's 75th Season Anniversary. The mural was painted by lead
 artist Peter Pagast with the help of neighborhood youth.
     On Saturday, August 18, a dedication ceremony was held with the cast of
 thousands responsible for the new field. Special guests included Eagles
 Senior Vice President of Business Operations Mark Donovan; City Managing
 Director Loree Jones; Department of Recreation Commissioner Victor Richard;
 and Philadelphia's Second District State Senator Tina Tartaglione.
 Corporate contributors present were Joel Ralph of Comcast Spectacor; Tom
 Bock of Bock Construction; Mike Dennis of AstroTurf; and Janet Wischnia of
 ATD American.
     No one was more thrilled that Pop Warner president Jon Butler, whose
 Frankford Chargers will claim the field as home, and Philadelphia's Billy
 Gambrel, for whom the center is named.
     Following the unveiling of the mural, showcasing images of Gambrel and
 Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid, was the blessing of the field by local Pastor
 Richard Smith. The group then convened for the official ribbon cutting. All
 cheered with joy and animation as they watched the Frankford Chargers youth
 football team, its cheerleaders and the visiting Rhawnhurst Raiders run on
 to the new field the very second the ceremonial scissors snapped.
     About Pop Warner
     The Pop Warner Little Scholars began in Northeast Philadelphia in 1929
 and is headquartered in Langhorne, PA. It is the largest national youth
 football and cheerleading organization in the United States and the only
 youth sports organization that emphasizes academics as an equivalent to
 athletics. Over 400,000 children are currently involved in Pop Warner
 organizations in 43 states, Guam, Scotland, Germany, Russia, Japan, and
 Mexico.
 
 

SOURCE The Philadelphia Eagles