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Stadium to benefit from family fun day
(by Sue Hoffman - August 05, 2010)
Stadium to benefit from family fun day
By SUE HOFFMAN
During a two-year fund-raiser, the stadium committee raised nearly $450,000 for the synthetic turf field at Kenston High School. The unveiling of the new field was celebrated by some 2,300 community members of all ages last September.
"Since then, over 3,000 participants have been in events on that field," Scott Shell, who heads the stadium committee, said.
The field was phase one, Dr. Shell said. Phase two will bring more stadium improvements, he said, including construction of a new field house, new lights, scoreboard, bleachers, restrooms and concession stands.
The first Family Fun Day and Run in the Sun, sponsored by the Kenston Athletic Boosters on Aug. 15, will kick off fund-raising for the second phase, committee members said.
"Our goal is to raise $15,000 to $20,000 from this event," Dr. Shell said.
Like the unveiling of the new field, this event promises to bring thousands of community members, stadium committee member Jim Gray said.
For the run, police will close roads near the schools and participants will receive a chip for their shoes to assure accurate timing, Mr. Gray said. The run is for all ages, he said. "We're going to give out prizes for the top three male and female runners in age groups and all finishers under 13."
Runners and walkers will assemble by the bus loop at the high school from 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. The one-mile walk starts at 8 a.m. and four-mile race begins at 8:15 a.m. Runners will go north on Snyder Road, then left on Stafford Road. They'll turn left on Haskins Road, left on East Washington Street, right on Snyder Road, and left into the middle school parking lot. The run concludes with a lap around the stadium track. The walk is through the Kenston campus to the stadium. Family members and walkers can sit on the bleachers to watch the runners finish.
"Our goal is to have 500 participants at the run, plus their families at this event," Mr. Gray said.
Family Fun Day activities run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are free. Among them are an obstacle course, children's inflatables, face painting, games, contests, food, driving school and booths by local vendors. There's also a dunk tank, with volunteers including some school administrators.
Liberty Ford in Solon will offer a chance to raise up to $6,000 by test driving a vehicle. For every person who test drives a car, $20 will be donated to the stadium project. Test drives begin at 9 a.m. The first 300 will be in a drawing for a new laptop computer.
"We know it is important that students continue to have opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities, and that's why over the past year it has been a privilege to help support these important programs at area high schools," Gregory Bumbu, operating partner at the dealership and member of the stadium committee, said.
Corporate sponsors are expected to bring in the bulk of contributions that day, Mr. Gray said. Sponsors have two options. For $250, they'll receive a space at the event to sell products or provide information about their companies. A corporate name will be on the back of the official T-shirt that will be given to every runner and walker who pre-registers.
For $650, corporate sponsors will receive an advertisement banner placed on the stadium fence for the 2010-2011 school year along with a space at the event and T-shirt name.
Mr. Gray said he and his wife, Jan, have been developing the idea of the run over the last year. At a meeting of the stadium committee in January, the idea was expanded to include Family Fun Day.
Of the phase two projects, Dr. Shell said the first may be the construction of the Gurd Family Field House at the back of the middle school. The committee's aim is to complete the second phase in two to three years, he said.
Named after Dr. Alan Gurd, an active Kenston volunteer for nearly 35 years, the field house will be "a place for players to go at halftime," Dr. Shell said. It will have a first-aid room, house officials and provide space for indoor recreational activities for high school and middle school students.
To sign up for the run or walk, participants can download a form on the Kenston High School Web site. On-site registration is available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 14 or 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Aug. 15 at the high school.
The brick fund-raiser also continues, and a new wall of bricks, many in someone's honor or memory, has been added, Dr. Shell said.
To purchase a brick, send a check for $250 to Kenston Board of Education, Stadium Committee, 17419 Snyder Road, Chagrin Falls 44023.
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