Fundraising efforts going strong for SWR field project
The Wildcat Athletic Club has raised just over $175,000 toward a three-phase project to renovate the Shoreham-Wading River High School varsity field that will ultimately cost $775,000 if completed.
The Athletic Club, a private charity that supports the district’s athletic activities, is sponsoring several fundraising events to get closer toward the goal as the first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in July following the end of the school year.
East Wind Caterers is hosting a social May 24 from 7 to 11 p.m., which is sponsored by Paula Constant. The event costs $55 per person and includes a four-course dinner with a DJ performing.
The Athletic Club is also selling bricks that can be engraved and then incorporated into the landscape of the project. A $250 or more donation is worth a 6-by-9 inch brick. A $500 or more donation is worth a 12-by-12 inch brick.
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The first phase of the project includes the construction of a 31-by-14 foot press box, with ADA-compliant bathrooms, and moving the current bleachers to the opposite side of the field. It also includes some grunt work of getting water supply down from the school to the field and linking the power from the school to the field.
Christopher Rosati, a club member who is spearheading fundraising efforts, said they’ve raised in excess of $175,000 when factoring in donated materials and labor. They’ve raised just over $51,000 in monetary donations.
Tommy Pirraglia, owner of Pirraglia Contracting in Rocky Point, donated materials and labor for construction of the press box. Rosati said several other families have been key in donating to the project, including the Daly family for work on the septic system, the Puckey family for the brick work and landscaping, the Constant family for donating doors for the press box and restrooms, the Whiffen family for installing overhead doors, the Tastrom family for helping with plumbing labor and the Julian family for glass donations.
The second phase of the project will include field lights. Rosati said the first two phases are linked in many ways because they need to get the power connected to the press box.
Rosati said the goal is for the first phase to be completed in time for the fall football season. The target for the lights in phase two is the spring for lacrosse season. There are several costs associated with the lights, including transformers and wires that all add up, Rosati said.
He estimated the lights in total could be anywhere from $120,000-$140,000.
While they hope to begin phase one as soon as the school year ends, Rosati said there could still be obstacles with getting the necessary approval from State Education Department or Department of Health.
“We’re optimistic that we’re going to get this completed,” Rosati said. “The community support has been really great.”
The most expensive part of the project is phase three — a turf field to replace the current grass field. They hope to have funds raised to complete that by 2015.
