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20 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, January 21, 2010 GDHS dream field a step closer to reality By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer The Field of Dreams project at Georgetown District High School has cleared a major hurdle to becoming reality as construction is slated to begin in early April. A recent $110,000 grant from Ontario's Trillium Foundation pushed the community fundraising total to over $500,000, reaching the "trigger point" for the tendering process to start later this month on the $2.1 million project. Scheduled to be ready for play in September, the proposed artificial turf sports field and all-weather rubberized track will be the first such facility within the Halton District School Board, which has loaned $1.5 million to the local committee to offset construction costs. The Town of Halton Hills is also a partner in the project and several other communities across the province have already made inquiries to the committee about the successful fundraising model that has been utilized in Georgetown. "That will be the legacy that transcends this field," said committee chairman Ian Troop. "Maybe other communities will see this and say, `This isn't so difficult after all,' but it does involve critical factors. The community elements have to band together and link with the town and the school board. And I think what transpired here resonated quite well with the Trillium Foundation." A committee meeting was substantial number of hours at specified rates. Those user fees will be used to pay off the loan to the school board, with the Town overseeing the loan repayment and scheduling for the venue amongst the various community groups. Both the GSC and HHMFA feel they'll be able to significantly increase their registration numbers in 2011 from the current 2,800 and 260 for each, respectively. The facility will also greatly expand the duration of the clubs' playing schedules and complements the two-year-old Dufferin Centre in Acton, as well as the Trafalgar Sports Park, which are both booked to capacity. "Not only does this give us the artificial field we've been looking for and that the Town wanted to build anyway, it also gives us more flexibility around the existing fields, so if Cedarvale Park needs a rest for a while, we can play here," said GSC president Alice Strachan, who submitted the application for the $110,000 Trillium grant. "If we want to run a largerscale event, we can do that now. Our annual tournament, for example, has been held back in terms of the number of teams registering because of a lack of fields in Halton Hills. That's huge revenue for the Town." Jim Kardash, president of the HHMFA, has watched his organization's enrolment triple over the past four years, having to use fields in Acton and Milton for its house league and rep teams. See FIELD, pg. 21 SPORTS & LEISURE The Georgetown District High School Field of Dreams project, which calls for a fully lit field and track with a synthetic field surface and grandstand, recently received a $110,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant pushing the local fundraising total to more than $500,000. Graphic by Andrew Hickson held last week to iron out spe- turf surface that the committee we want to do it right," Troop cific details for construction expects will be installed should added. "We'd like to get 10 or even with the project manager, who have a lifespan of approxi15 rows of stands and really is also presiding over the ex- mately 10 years. transform the Field of tensive renovations Dreams from being a currently underway at very good community GDHS. facility to a really good During a recent tour event venue and hopeof similar artificial turf fully we can start to host fields at Halton Cathosome regional champilic board high schools, Field of Dreams com- --Committee chairman Ian Troop onships up here." The Georgetown mittee members were Soccer Club and the advised to push for as "We're still fundraising so Halton Hills Minor Football much grandstand seating as is that we can have the kind of Association are thrilled about financially feasible. The current plans would see venue with the right set of the prospects of the new facilfive rows of grandstand seat- grandstands with personaliza- ity and as the two major coming on one side of the fully lit tion on the field and all those munity partners in the projfield and the type of synthetic extra things cost money and ect, have committed to rent a "Maybe other communities will see this and say, `This isn't so difficult after all.' GEORGETOWN SOCCER CLUB ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE SOON!!! for all players between the ages of 5 and 18 (born in 1992 to 2005) Online registration for the 2010 outdoor season will be available through our website at Nike Half Marathon and Marathon Clinic Starts Wednesday January 27th at 6pm. Clinic will run for 16 weeks. The clinic includes a technical running shirt, training schedule, weekly group runs, 10% store discount and 5 information sessions. www.georgetownsoccerclub.com from January 25 to February 7, 2010 905-877-3201 72 Main Street South Georgetown, ON L7G 3G3 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! (Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis)