Great Hearts Academies Receives $100,000 Spirit of the Fiesta Bowl Grant

From Fiesta Bowl Charities

Award will be used to help build sports field at new Maryvale Prep campus

PHOENIX, Ariz.— October 30, 2017 — Great Hearts Academies, Arizona’s largest not-for-profit charter school network, is a 2017 recipient of the Spirit of the Fiesta Bowl grant. The $100,000 grant awarded by Fiesta Bowl Charities will be used to help build an AIA-regulation sports field, as part of a new campus being built for Maryvale Prep and its 500 students. This new campus will unlock the full potential of a tremendous community asset to the youth and families of the community of Maryvale and over time, will grow to serve 1,300 students.

“We are grateful to be among the many community non-profit organizations supported by Fiesta Bowl Charities. Our new campus will allow us to serve even more students in the Maryvale area, and with this generous grant, we will see our dream of a new sports field come to fruition,” said Mac Esau, Headmaster at Maryvale Prep. “We are grateful for the support from the City of Maryvale, and most importantly, Fiesta Bowl Charities, whose generosity will make this possible.”

The new Maryvale Prep campus will open for the 2018/2019 school year, serving grades K-9 and adding an additional grade each year, providing a complete K-12 academy serving the Maryvale community in 2021. Open Enrollment for the new campus starts November 13. For more information about enrolling, please visit the Great Hearts enrollment web page.

Though Maryvale Prep has a vibrant AIA athletics program, the current rented campus doesn’t have a field or the space to add additional grades. Students, coaches, and families must continually drive around town and use rented fields and gyms, when they are available. This project meets a critical need, providing a competitive athletic offering for Maryvale Prep students, and a much-needed athletic facility asset for other groups in the community.

“Supporting Maryvale Prep fits directly into the mission of Fiesta Bowl Charities, which is to enhance the lives of Arizonans through youth, sports and education,” said Fiesta Bowl Chairman of the Board Steve Leach. “We’re proud to help develop the next generation of leaders, which Great Hearts does through its wonderful education opportunities for students. The new Maryvale Prep campus will serve the Maryvale community well, and the sports field will be a meaningful addition to the new campus.”

This award was one of 67 Fiesta Bowl grants totaling a record $2.5 million for Arizona non-profit organizations in 2017, the most of any college football bowl organization. Fiesta Bowl Charities has awarded more than $10 million over the past seven years and served more than 250 charitable organizations.

About Great Hearts
Great Hearts is a non-profit network of public charter schools dedicated to improving education nationwide through classical preparatory K-12 academies. As the largest provider of classical education campuses in the country, Great Hearts academies serve more than 15,000 students at 28 tuition-free public schools in greater Phoenix, Ariz. and San Antonio and Irving, Tex., with waitlists that typically exceed enrollment. Great Hearts provides a robust liberal arts curriculum incorporating advanced math and science, a focus on the arts and foreign language, and a range of extra-curricular activities and athletics. Learn more at www.greatheartsamerica.org.

About Fiesta Bowl Charities

The Fiesta Bowl vision is a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans. As a non-profit organization, it believes in the importance of community outreach and service. Through charitable giving, the organization strives to enhance Arizona non-profit organizations that contribute to the success of communities through youth, sports and education. Since 1971, Fiesta Bowl Charities has worked to increase its footprint across the state and work to benefit Arizonans year-round, during and outside of bowl season. For more information about its local impact and how to get involved, visit FiestaBowl.org.

Contact:
Bill Odell
Director of Communications, Great Hearts
bodell@greatheartsaz.org
(602) 889-5034