Spurred by need and kickstarted by a $350,000 gift from the Pete VanKirk family, the Dewey Field Renovation project will soon enter the first of four phases.
The Perry Community School District matched VanKirk’s generosity, creating a pool of $700,000. However, expected total costs of $1.1 million has led school officials to launch a “1,000 Bluejays” fundraising campaign to help finish the project.
An information and display booth was set up during Friday’s home basketball games against Bondurant-Farrar, with Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks addressing the crowd at halftime of the boys game.
“This is about community pride,” Wicks said. “It is also something that is going to benefit a wide portion of our student body.”
To make his point, Wicks had students involved in football, soccer, track and field, marching band and vocational tech classes stand behind him on the court. Each of those programs would see a lasting benefit from the coming changes, he said.
The renovation project support group is seeking 1,000 Bluejays — be they alumni, fans or community-minded persons — to contribute $250 each, thereby raising $250,000.
If that goal is reached, Wicks said, the VanKirk family has generously agreed to match an additional $75,000 toward the project.
Phase One will include a new plaza and entrance, which will be on the northeast corner of the facility, across 18th street from the entrance to the high school. New ticket booths will be constructed, as will a much larger concession stand and what Wicks promised would be “the largest and best restrooms” in the conference.
Home fans will be switched to the north side this season, and thus have any cold winds at their backs. Expansion and additional work on the north side bleachers are also part of the initial phase, all of which will be completed in time for the start of the 2018 football season.
Phase Two will cost $300,000 and include a new north side press box and further bleacher expansion, with phase three, at $850,000, bringing a renovation of Jim Kaufman Track, including interior fencing and other projects.
The final stage, phase four will be a complete replacement of Dewey Field with a new turf surface similar to those at Gilbert, Newton, North Polk and other fields on which the Bluejays have recently competed. The cost of phase four is estimated at $1.2 million.
Large donation levels include End Zone Legacy ($25,000), Golden Goal Sponsor ($10,000), Finish Line Sponsor ($5,000) and Yard Line Sponsor ($1,000).
All Dewey Field Complex donors will receive special recognition on the Bluejay donor wall.
Online payments can be made on the school website. For more information or to contribute, contact Wicks at 515-380-0102 or PHS Activities Director Tom Lipovac at 515-465-8336.
Oh my goodness! When I first saw the proposed design pictured above, I thought it was an entrance to a concentration camp. That’s the first thing that came to mind. I just can’t believe they settled for such a tacky design.