我们来玩吧，盖尔人!
A foundation grant of $500,000 enabled enhancements to an important, much-utilized recreation field. Lacrosse players 和 students throughout the campus are appreciative, while many community members will be delighted, 太.
Thanks to the generosity of a foundation donor 和 a strong collaborative effort between several SMC departments, Saint Mary’s lacrosse players, club sports 和 intramural athletes, community members—as well as students who just want a pickup game of soccer or softball—now have a newly refurbished field available to them.
该基金会, which wishes to remain anonymous, 提供了500美元,000 toward the restoration of the field, located in the upper sports complex. The all-turf field, provided by 邵氏体育草皮, uses a revolutionary new turf technology known as GameOn, a product used at colleges 和 universities nationwide.
The new field is decked out with Saint Mary’s br和ing, giving it a professional look 和 feel. Lighting improvements were also made by Musco Sports Lighting LLC, the original lighting vendor (at no cost, as the lights were under warranty), allowing students to use the field during evening hours. Members of the external community, 太, can look forward to utilizing the field for summer camps, 外比赛, 以及其他用途.
“We could not be happier about the new turf field,” says 恩典肯尼迪, president of SMC’s Associated Students 和 a member of the Women’s Club Lacrosse team. “It’s great to know that club sports teams are being prioritized, this new field will be very beneficial to all students at Saint Mary’s.”
肯尼迪, 一位高级, noted that—post-p和emic—the lacrosse team hasn’t had a full field on which they could practice or play games. Now, s他说, the team can host matches that family 和 friends can attend.
Back 和 better than ever
After the COVID-19 p和emic hit back in 2020, the field was repurposed for outdoor classes, explains Vice President for 学生生活 吉姆来!. That included pavilions, 帐篷, 水泥柱子, other non-athletics material, making the field unsuitable for recreational purposes. 不足为奇的是, 他说, the field itself suffered, 与轴心, 杂草, uneven surfaces that made on-field play unsafe.
“The pavilions 和 帐篷 served a purpose at the time, but we’re glad to have the field back 和 available for its appropriate use,西乌托说. “In fact, it’s better than ever.”
Behind-the-scenes funding proves critical
汤姆•卡罗尔, SMC Associate Vice President 和 Deputy 体育运动 Director, says the generosity that moved the project forward was crucial.
“The support of a foundation has allowed us to bring back an important recreation space on campus,他说. “Philanthropic support is key to creating opportunities to enhance student life at Saint Mary's College, this project was fast-tracked because of a generous grant. It will truly impact all of our students, as well as the community at large.”
Teamwork 和 collaboration
身为法瑞斯, SMC Vice President for Facilities 服务—whose staff members, Jeffrey负责人肯德尔 和 斯科特·洛根 played a lead role in the overall management of the project—notes that the successful completion of the project was enabled by the campus’s collaborative approach.
Kendell 和 Logan hammered out the vendor contract, ensuring tasks were completed on time, tending to other project management responsibilities. 同时, 学生生活, Strategic Partnerships 和 Advancement (SPA), 俱乐部体育 all provided essential contributions.
“I really appreciate how everyone came together,” says Farias. “There were a lot of details 和 complexities involved, 比如设计, 停车注意事项, 俱乐部体育需求, 融资, 最后期限, 还有其他问题. Each step of the way, campus partners came through 和 partnered with us in a spirit of unity.
“It was wonderful to see such great teamwork amongst the campus community,他说. “集体, we’ve delivered a wonderful new recreation field to our students 和 others in the community.”
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