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New
Athletic Field Has a Name and a Major Donor |
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On Monday, December 20 at the monthly Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. John Davitt had the pleasure of announcing that the renovated athletic field will be called Sartoris Field, named after men’s athletic director Jim Sartoris, who has spent 40 years at the college as a student-athlete, coach, instructor and division chair. The dedication of the field will take place in the fall of 2005. It was also announced at the meeting that Andy Reid, Head Coach of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles and GCC football player in 1976-77, has agreed to donate $50,000 towards the purchase of the scoreboard. “We are proud to contribute in any way we can to the Glendale College athletic program. Glendale College helped build my foundation in the sport of football,” Reid said about his donation. “My family and I will always be grateful to Jim Sartoris, John Cicuto and Mike Scarpace and the other coaches and staff at GCC. This is just a small token of appreciation. I know many others have, or will, contribute to this project.’’ The cost of the state-of-the-art scoreboard and track timing system is not included in the cost of the field renovation; the funds must be raised privately. The goal is to raise funds for the scoreboard and an athletic endowment that will serve as an ongoing support system for the athletic department. The funding for the field renovation will come from the $98 million bond initiative passed by Glendale voters in 2002 that will fund construction projects on campus including the renovation of the athletic field. The $3 million project includes the installation of lights for the field as well as the renovation of the grass field and dirt track with artificial surfaces. The renovation of existing bleachers and the installation of a storage building adjacent to the track is also part of the project. Upon completion of this project, the facility will not only be the home for the college’s football, men’s and women’s soccer and track and field teams but will also be made available for community groups and organizations to use on a rental basis. A donor wall has been created in the design of the athletic hall of fame mural and will be attached to the scoreboard as a way to honor supporters of the project for sponsorship levels from $500 to $10,000. Recognition tiles will vary in size depending on the amount of the donation. Space is available on the scoreboard for even larger donations. College staff, alumni and members of the community will have an opportunity to support this project through their tax deductible donations and forever be part of the fund- raising efforts in support of Glendale College athletics. Please call the Foundation at x5197 for more information. & |