Hollidaysburg Area’s $542,000 turf replacement at Tiger Stadium may make district taxpayers gasp, but officials hope its fundraising campaign will cover a quarter of that cost by the time the work begins in June.
Since August, a committee of school administrators, teachers, coaches, foundation and board members have been soliciting donations through the “Restore the Roar” campaign.
Corporate sponsorship allows the district to commit a greater percentage of its funds to academics.
“It’s going well. We’ve had a lot of local businesses and individuals contribute or express interest either through donations or stadium advertising,” Superintendent Bob Gildea said.
However, no corporate donors have stepped forward for the “Ultimate Golden Tiger” sponsorship, or a commitment of $250,000 paid over five years.
“I’ve got my eyes opened with this,” Gildea said. “It’s tough.”
Gildea said the goal of the Restore the Roar committee is to continue working for donations and have funds generated to cover 25 percent of the project by the time the turf project starts.
With its winning bid of $542,000, Astro Turf LLC is slated to begin the turf replacement in June.
Athletic Director and high school football coach Homer DeLattre said the turf replacement is scheduled to be finished for the start of fall sports practices in August.
The current turf is worn in some spots, he said. The warranty was for eight years, and in October, the turf will be 12 years old, he said.
Local businessman Shawn McCarl’s family and businesses, S.P. McCarl and Co. Inc. construction and McCarl’s Preferred Services, paid a vast majority of the $850,000 cost for the original turf installation, including a $650,000 bank loan.
“Thanks to Shawn McCarl and his group’s initial investment,” Gildea said.
About 12 years since the original turf installation, some people remain proponents of grass.
Grass, some say, causes fewer joint injuries and doesn’t have the rubber granule “fly-up” of turf that can irritate athlete’s mouths and eyes.
However, the new turf to be installed at Tiger Stadium isn’t the kind of turf that those faithful to grass are used to seeing.
DeLattre said the new turf has the softest rating of all options. “It is equivalent to a grass field,” he said.
In addition, the turf replacement includes a thatch layer to reduce the rubber fly up when athletes dive for a ball or make a tackle, he said.
To further reduce the potential for injuries, the new turf will include a 19 millimeter shock pad under it. The current turf has no shock pad, DeLattre said. The shock pad to be installed, DeLattre said, is ” the highest quality for the price. It’s installed in more fields than any other type.”
And as long as the weather over the years isn’t too extreme, DeLattre said, the new turf will last 12 to 14 years before the stadium would need another replacement.