ESPN’s new original series RISE UP will be telling the story of four communities coming together to renovate their local high school’s athletic facilities. The inspirational, four-episode series will showcase renovation projects from start to finish and will also focus on giving students advice, training, and tools that they can use to become better athletes. POWERADE® is a sponsor of RISE UP, providing hydration products for the series.
RISE UP will debut on Tuesday, September 13, airing on consecutive Tuesdays: September 20, September 27, and October 4. All episodes will be televised at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The series will be hosted by ESPN college football analyst Chris Spielman and mechanical engineer and television personality Deanne Bell. Country super star Kenny Chesney co-wrote and will record the theme song for the series.
On writing the theme song Chesney said, “I am very proud to be a part of Rise Up in a small way!! I believe ESPN is doing something incredibly important and historic. To be a part of something that is going to help so many kids, players, coaches, schools, and communities is an honor.”
The schools and communities highlighted in the series are:
Wellston High School in Wellston, OH
The Dorchester Education Complex in Boston, MA
Ingraham High School in Seattle, WA
Walter H. Dyett High School in Chicago, IL
“I am pleased to be part of a team dedicated to giving back and serving schools that have a desire to excel both on the field and off,” said Spielman. “Our goal is to provide these students with the proper tools and equipment to give them an opportunity to succeed. I believe what you give will grow, what you keep you will lose.”
Inspired by ESPN RISE’s mission to engage and elevate high school athletes through recognition, resources, information, and inspiration, the series chronicles the renovation of a different school each week. Each episode will follow as community members come together to refurbish the one thing that ties them all together – the local high school athletic program. RISE UP will spend time with the students and coaches in each community, uncovering the challenges facing high school athletes today, and working with professional athletes, coaches, and trainers to help motivate and inspire them to reach even greater goals.
“Currently, many schools across America are suffering from budget cuts that severely limit their ability to offer sports and physical education to their students,” said Executive Producer and Vice President of ESPN Content Development Joan Lynch. “RISE UP was created to shine a spotlight on public high schools that realize the long-term benefit of students who play sports and are maximizing their limited resources and facilities to keep their students engaged in and inspired by athletics.”
In September 2010, ESPN aired a one-hour special, RISE UP: New Orleans in which McMain Secondary High School in New Orleans was renovated over the school’s summer break so that the new facilities would be ready for the first day of school. The special served as a pilot. RISE UP is produced by ESPN Content Development and Asylum Entertainment. St. Martin Brown, the design and architectural firm who championed the initial RISE UP project in New Orleans, has extended their efforts and will continue their participation as the RISE UP initiative continues nationwide.
