The Woodlawn athletics field got a little closer to completion with a donation last week that will help raise the lights, turning the field into an evening arena.
Woodlawn Regional Park manager Nathan Puffalt said it's an exciting time for the park as they enter the final push to complete all the work and restore all the Woodlawn facilities for public consumption.
Puffalt is expecting to have all work complete in time for activities to begin late in the spring or early summer.
There are still a few minor touch ups and accents to complete, with the installation of one of the finer points still on the table: that being the lights.
"The major projects that we still want to do down at the athletic park is the lighting, a few touch ups to the fencing around there as well as eventually putting in a family playground area near that facility," said Puffalt, who noted the play area is low on the priority list. Having the lights over the field comes before any further amenities are to be installed.
"All the shaping and the grass is done and it's taking beautifully," Puffalt said regarding the sod that was placed on the field earlier this year. "The football guys got on there and said it was the best it has ever been. The buildings as well we finished off over the year, the concessions and dressing rooms and showers, they're all 100 per cent ready to go."
Last week, RBC Dominion Securities donated $10,000 to the athletic field, and Puffalt said those funds will go toward installing cement caps on the pilings.
"With this $10,000, it gets us started with putting the cement caps on the piles that are already there," he said, noting installation of all the caps is estimated to be about $25,000.
He said with other donations, it's enough to get the contractor in to complete the work.
The next steps will include preparation work for the raising of the standards and installation of the lights around the field, as well as electrical work. That part of the project will cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
"We still have a bit of fundraising to do to make sure we can get those lights up by the spring," said Puffalt, who added the goal is to have the lights up and ready to be played under when soccer starts in 2014.
He added that donations like the one from RBC Dominion Securities are vital in order to ensure all the facilities in Woodlawn Park are up and running and available for use by everyone in the southeast region. With the 2016 Summer Games recently awarded to Estevan, those facilities will play a big role in years ahead.
Other facilities must be repaired or replaced leading up to the Games. A track will need to be completed at the Estevan Comprehensive School in order to run some of the events, and it will also require some fundraising from the community to build, about $300,000 in donations in order to begin construction.
Puffalt said the Woodlawn field is meant for use by the entire community, not just the soccer and football leagues, and he hopes everyone in the region can claim the field as their own.
"Even when you go and watch a game underneath the lights, you can't beat it. You feel the atmosphere change instantly. Kids get excited about it, and parents get excited about seeing their kids play underneath the lights. That's what it's all about, giving kids the opportunity to feel like they're in the big leagues."
Puffalt called the Woodlawn field one of the most up-to-date and premier facilities in the province. He noted there are still lots of avenues for people who wish to donate, noting the field's naming rights are still available.
