The district’s community relations director, Gina Gentry-Fletcher, said she believes this is the largest donation ever given to the athletic department.
Superintendent Paul Otten said that although the grass field in the 40-year-old facility is in “decent” shape, the installation of turf would save the district maintenance costs and make the field more durable. The project is expected to be complete in about two months, and should be ready in time for Fairfield’s first home football game Aug. 31, said athletic director Mark Harden.
“We’re very excited. This puts us in a great position in the league. The turf will provide a surface that functions in any conditions, and we won’t have to worry about fertilizing or treating it,” Otten said.
And thanks to Mercy’s donation, this project will not be paid for with taxpayer dollars, he added. Mercy has worked with the district for several years, providing the district’s sports medicine contract.
Up until today, Fairfield had been the only school district in the Greater Miami Conference besides Middletown that has a grass field.
Harden said many of the Fairfield athletes are “thrilled” about the news; some told him they never thought they’d see it.
“What it does for the kids is it will give them even more pride to be an Indian,” he said. Moreover, the turf will make for a “consistent playing surface” that could be rented to community groups.
Football Coach Jason Krause said “What an awesome opportunity ... This gives us an advantage over our current situation. The weather’s not as much of a factor now.”
This project is especially important because “Fairfield Stadium is kind of the front porch of the school district,” Otten said. It is located at Ohio 4 and Stadium Drive, near the high school.
Nanette Bentley, spokeswoman for Mercy Hospital in Fairfield, said the partnership is good for the hospital and the school district.
“When a health care provider and a school district work well together, it elevates the entire community,” she said.
This is just one project pending for the field; a new track will be installed after the football season and will be paid for through the athletic boosters, Otten said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or eric.robinette@coxinc.com
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