We have covered the organization 9th Ward Field of Dreams before. Brian Bordainick and his colleagues, friends, students, and broader community in New Orleans are trying to build a state-of-the art football field and track that will be enjoyed by all public schools and community members free of charge. It is a tangible testament to the recovery from the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused in the 9th Ward and to the power of people, near and far, to support one another in a time of need.

We have seen the power of social media over the past two weeks in response to the tragedy in Haiti. While Twitter was all the rage, Facebook had a role, and still does for literally thousands of other efforts. 9th Ward is taking to an aggressive Facebook fundraising campaign over the next 3 weeks. 9WFOD has already raised over $1 million and we need $750,000 more before Valentine’s day to open on the 5th anniversary of Katrina.

To help with fundraising through Facebook, please follow these instructions.

Why New Orleans? And why the 9th Ward
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the 9th Ward eliminating most public housing and destroying Carver High School. Currently, Carver High School operates out of 8 prefabricated trailers in the parking lot of the storm ridden school. The football team practices on an abandoned lot, and the track team runs in the pot-holed streets. In less than a year they can be playing in a state-of-the-art stadium. As of this current date, the 9th Ward lacks any public space of the like. This project has been a rallying point for the city of New Orleans, and will raise the bar on civic engagement post-Katrina.