A $250,000 donation from the Las Vegas Raiders helped cover the costs of repairing a high school football field in Concord that was damaged in a fire in August, school officials announced Thursday.
The football field at Mt. Diablo High School at 2450 Grant St. had newly installed synthetic turf that was damaged in a fire reported on Aug. 24. Concord police investigators found surveillance footage showing several people, possibly juveniles, who set off fireworks on the field the night before.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District officials said the fire melted about a third of the field, including the center logo, requiring the team to have its home opener moved to Concord High School in late August.
Last month, the artificial turf manufacturer brought in repair crews to replace the damaged area so the field could be used again, and the new center logo was installed earlier in October because it had to be special-ordered, according to the district.
The school district on Thursday announced that the field with the new logo will host the MDHS homecoming game at 7 p.m. Friday against Ygnacio Valley High School, and that the Raiders — the National Football League team that played in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas in 2020 — had donated $250,000 after learning about the fire and the needed repairs.
The donation will cover the cost of the insurance deductible, which the district would have had to pay toward the total repair costs of nearly $350,000, MDUSD officials said.
“As a lifelong Raiders fan and past season ticket holder, I couldn’t be more pleased with their generous contribution,” district Superintendent Adam Clark said in a statement. “The Mt. Diablo High School student body, alumni and community deserve a learning environment that they can be proud of.”
Concord police have not announced arrests or shared any updates about the investigation into the fire.
