Rockford Park District Receives $2.8 Million State Grant to Invest in Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park
ROCKFORD, IL â State funding will allow for improved recreational opportunities in southwest Rockford at Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park, 2004 Ogilby Road, Rockford.
The Rockford Park District received a $2.8 million Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act (PARC) grant. Funding received will be used to build an artificial turf field and stadium with an eight-lane running track, a throw and jump event area, a spectator area with bleacher seating for 1,000; parking lot with solar lights, and landscape improvements.
Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park is a destination utilized by thousands of youth, teens, and families. The park is home to youth sports programs, including NFL Flag Football, NFL Cheer, Rockford F.I.R.E. Track & Field, Youth Sports Outreach, Rockford Wolves Youth Football, Chicago Bears Outreach Camp, AAU Northern Cross Country National Championship, and AAU Cross County District Qualifier.
âI had a vision years ago and came to the Rockford Park District looking for some space to start a flag football program and provide a place where kids could connect with great mentors and leaders. We started out at Brown Park and outgrew that location and over the years have had to utilize other venues to meet the continued growth of the Youth Sports programs. Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park is exactly what I dreamed of years ago. This is going to be an amazing sports facility that will unite youth, teens, and families with their common love of play and provide a permanent home for football, soccer, lacrosse, track and field programming and much more, said Lamont Jones, General Manager of Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park and Youth Sports Outreach.
Over the years, the Rockford Park District has made improvements to the 77-acre park, including new scoreboards, signs, fencing, bleachers, turf playground surface, an asphalt path, and a large shade structure with a concrete pad. Most recently, a new access road was built off Ogilby Road to improve the traffic flow at this popular park.
Last year, the Chicago Bears donated turf that was once in the Walter Payton Center (WPC) at Halas Hall to create a future warmup area at Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park.
Phase 1 improvements total roughly $7 million. In addition to the Park and Recreational Facility Act (PARC) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for $2.8 million, Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman was also able to secure $600,000 in state funding for Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park improvements. The Rockford Park District plans to hold a groundbreaking celebration later this spring.
