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CANTON ‒ The National High School Football Hall of Fame is aiming to raise millions for renovations ahead of its planned opening next year.
Marcus Dupree, a former NFL player and High School Football Hall of Fame inductee, is calling for his peers in the NFL to help raise $5 million for restoration and renovations of the hall's future home.
"The future of the game begins with high school football. It's time for the NFL community to give back to the sport that helped make us who we are,” Dupree, a running back who played two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, said in a prepared statement. “This is our opportunity to show appreciation for the generations of coaches, players and families who made the game what it is today.”
Lamont Robinson, the founder of the National High School Football Hall of Fame Foundation, said the NFL should be more willing to support the effort.
"I think that the NFL should help us," he said. "Once we do get their attention, I think that the NFL and those current and former players and coaches, I really think that they will reach out."
Robinson said he thinks $5 million is a more than reasonable goal for the facility, and he hopes the hall will get the backing it needs.
"Five million dollars in terms of what we're doing is not a lot of money to be able to restore that building," he said. "Once we present it to (the NFL), it shouldn't take long."
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Community members speak in support of fundraising campaign
Canton community members have shown their support for the hall's efforts. Former Canton McKinley head football coach Thom McDaniels said high school football deserves more recognition, and Canton is the perfect place for it.
"People talk about Canton being the birthplace of pro football, and I'll accept that pro football was born here, but high school football lives here," he said in a video. "It matters here in Stark County."
Mayor William Sherer II has also voiced his excitement for the hall to open its new building in Canton.
"This is going to be a huge economic impact not just for the city of Canton, but for the region as a whole," he said in a video.
When does the new facility open?
The 20,000-square-foot facility, located at 332 Second St. NW in downtown Canton, is aiming to open by 2026, Robinson said.
"We really want the 32 teams and the current and former players to step up," he said. "We hope to be up and running by this time next year."
Dupree, who played at Oklahoma and Southern Miss, said NFL players should aid the effort, as football at the high school level is integral for success in the league.
“High school football is where it all begins. Without it, none of us would have made it to the NFL,” he said in a prepared statement. “I am urging my fellow players to support this cause and help us raise the funds needed to preserve a piece of football history. The National High School Football Hall of Fame will honor those who laid the foundation for our success.”
This article originally appeared on The Repository: National High School Football Hall of Fame aiming to raise $5 million
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