Lewis S. Mills High School has taken several steps to ensure the safety of their football student-athletes by implementing the multi-step “Heads Up” tackling program. The Lewis S. Mills High School Football Booster Club identified the critical need to enhance this program and continue to teach safe tackling techniques. To do that, they applied for and received a grant from the Burlington Community Fund at Main Street Community Foundation to purchase two tackle wheels.

Tackle wheels teach players the proper tackling techniques of using a shoulder versus using a helmet. They also eliminate the need for a tackler to hit an opposing teammate during drills minimizing the risk of injury. The tackle wheels promote great body position, increase agility, improve timing and allow the players to track and tackle in motion.

The grant was awarded during a small ceremony in mid August at Lewis S. Mills High School. Janet and Jonathan Schwartz of the Burlington Community Fund Advisory Council and Jarre Betts of Main Street Community Foundation presented the grant to football coach John Oko, Football Booster Club president Dean Cowger and student-athletes Alex Nicoletti, Grayson LaBerge, Dylan Hallet, Holden Cowger, Cooper Mattiello and Tyler Rousseau.

The Burlington Community Fund was founded in 2011 by a group of committed community leaders in Burlington to create an endowment fund to support charitable projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life for their neighbors.

The Fund holds an annual grant cycle and applications are currently available to nonprofits serving the residents of Burlington. All guidelines, eligibility criteria and the link to the online applications are available on the Foundation’s website. The deadline to apply is September 14.