News Release
September 16, 2005
Seven DPS High Schools Receive New Gymnasium Scoreboards From Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain Donation
Manual Educational Complex hosted special event today (Friday, Sept. 16) to kick-off fall sports season and recognize Fox Sports Net -
Students and faculty at seven DPS high schools will enjoy new, state-of-the-art electronic scoreboards in their gymnasiums this school year thanks to a generous donation from Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain (FSN) to the Denver Public Schools Foundation.
A special publicity event to announce the new scoreboards was held during a pep rally at Manual High School earlier today from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Over 900 students watched as Andre Pettigrew, DPS assistant superintendent of support services, Leslie Moore, director of athletics for DPS, and Patricia Sterner, Interim CEO for the DPS Foundation, made a few brief remarks and presented a thank-you gift to Tim Griggs, vice president and general manager of FSN Rocky Mountain. Members of the Denver Public Schools Foundation board of directors and top DPS administrators including several assistant school principals also attended the event.
As part of FSN's community outreach efforts in Colorado, the company donated a substantial amount of funding to the Denver Public Schools Foundation. Part of these funds was used to purchase much-needed gymnasium scoreboards while the remaining funds will be used to support after-school programming in select DPS elementary schools.
The seven high schools that received the new scoreboards are John F. Kennedy, Manual, Montbello, North, South, Thomas Jefferson and West. All scoreboards were installed in early August and successfully replaced archaic scoreboards that date back 30 years.
"Fox Sports Net filled a glaring need within several of our high schools. Many of the old scoreboards were barely operable, making them terribly unreliable when trying to conduct important athletic events. The new scoreboards are now easy to operate, the buzzers are enjoyably loud, and the athletes can actually see the score," said Leslie Moore, director of athletics for DPS. "High school sports fans will now enjoy the experience of attending a sporting event at their school more than ever."
A key component of the new scoreboards is the availability of advertising space for potential corporate sponsors. FSN maintains lead logo placement on all of the scoreboards but left two spaces available in hopes of attracting other companies to purchase the spaces. With the cost of the scoreboards covered by FSN, any additional advertising funds will directly benefit the DPS Foundation and the students of DPS.
"We thank Fox Sports Net for their commitment to the DPS Foundation and their efforts in making this project happen," said Board Chairman Bruce Benson. "Their involvement is a great example of the corporate community stepping in to support our public schools.
"Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain is thrilled to be able to provide opportunities for young people in our local community," says Tim Griggs, vice president and general manager for FSN Rocky Mountain. "This program will hopefully enhance the educational and recreational experiences for many student athletes and help create an even more enjoyable experience for all the families attending events in our community's venues."
The DPS Foundation and Fox Sports Net anticipate making another announcement later this year regarding the remaining funds that will be used to support after-school programs in select elementary schools.
ABOUT THE DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
The Denver Public Schools Foundation exists to support the schools and programs of Denver Public Schools. The Foundation actively raises funds in the community to meet the ever-growing and unique educational needs of more than 72,000 students within the district. Funding primarily goes to support quality after school programs that focus on arts, athletics, and extended academics. Such programs lead to improved attitudes towards school, better work habits, increased attendance, and improved grades and test scores. For more information, visit www.dpsfoundation.org.
ABOUT FOX SPORTS NET ROCKY MOUNTAIN
FSN Rocky Mountain serves more than 2.8 million cable and satellite subscribers in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, southern Idaho, western Nebraska, western Kansas and northeastern Nevada. FSN has regional TV rights to the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Colorado Crush, University of Colorado, Colorado State, University of Denver and Utah Jazz.
For information, contact Kirstin Gerety, DPS Foundation, 720-423-3877 or kgerety@dpsfoundation.org.