Information from Highline Public Schools

A $250,000 grant presented by the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program will help fund the installation of a new synthetic turf field this summer at the shared Highline Memorial Stadium in Burien.

Highline Public Schools celebrated the successful grant and kicked off the project with a groundbreaking ceremony. Phil Willenbrock, Highline’s director of Athletics, expressed gratitude to the NFL, Seahawks and LISC, a national community development support organization that administers the grant program. 

"We are grateful to the NFL Foundation and LISC for this $250,000 grant stretching our capital dollars to replace the aging synthetic field at our stadium and improve safety," he said.

In a pioneering move, the new field will feature permanent lines for our girls flag football program, along with traditional lines for football and soccer.

The Seahawks' commitment to Highline extends beyond this project. They provided an additional grant for uniforms and equipment to start the girls’ flag football teams. "We fielded teams from three high schools and had a great inaugural year. Our students and community have shown immense joy and appreciation for this expansion of girls athletics," Phil said.

The name and color of each of the HPS comprehensive high schools to the four corners of this shared stadium field.

Lauren McGowan, executive director of LISC Puget Sound spoke at the ceremony. She said, "We are honored to partner with Highline Public Schools and the Seahawks to invest in the community's new football field."

In the Seahawks' press release, Mario Bailey, Seahawks vice president of Community Engagement & Legends, said, “We are excited about the opportunity a new first-class playing surface will provide for the young athletes at Highline and the larger community for years to come."