The Path To Turf is Paved in Bricks

The path to installing new artificial turf at Schumann Stadium will be paved with Indians and Titans.

The school district’s Capital Improvement Committee (CIC) is selling various sized commemorative bricks that can be adorned with the retro Indians logo, the Titans logo, or modern Indians logo. The bricks will be installed on a “Walk of Honor” in the north entrance, or a commemorative walk at the south entrance that will be traversed by thousands of fans as they enter the gates of Schumann Stadium.

In December, the School Board gave the Junior Indians and the MFHS Booster Club the green light to move forward with project to install artificial turf at the stadium – so long as all $800,000 in field and installation costs is raised before a single shovel hits the dirt. The board wanted to ensure no taxpayer dollars would be used to fund the project.

The bricks for the north entrance are available to all alumni and students that received First Team All Conference, National Honors Society, or Academic Valedictorian honors. The south entrance is open to anyone who wants to donate, without any qualifiers.

Doug Menne, co-founder of the Menomonee Falls Junior Indians football program, said the organization is poised to make a $150,0000 to $200,000 in-kind donation to kick off the fundraising. In September, the district agreed to a contract waiving the club’s rental fees to use the field for the life of the field – roughly 10 to 12 years - if the project moves forward.

Bricks on the “Walk of Honor” will cost anywhere from $100 to $750 depending on your desired level of customization. For $100, you can a brick that is 4 inches by 8 inches with three lines of text. For $750, you can get a 12-by-12 brick with six lines of text, a custom logo, or one of the three sports logos.

The Junior Indians are poised to make a donation of up to $200,000 to kick start fundraising for a new field, but had one last hurdle to jump before getting started.

There’s been a lot of legwork behind the scenes over the last several months, but fundraising for artificial turf at Schumann Stadium can officially begin.

Doug Menne, co-founder of the Menomonee Falls Junior Indians football program met with the Menomonee Falls School District Finance Committee Wednesday to hash out final agreements before moving forward to fundraise $800,000 to install artificial turf on the football field.

Menne said the Junior Indians are poised to make a $150,0000 to $200,000 in-kind donation to kick off the fundraising. On Wednesday, the district agreed to draft a contract waiving the club’s rental fees to use the field for the life of the turf – roughly 10 to 12 years - if the project moves forward.

Menne was hoping the district would waive future rental fees in light of its sizable donation. Menne said the club already invests nearly $6,000 annually to maintain the football fields and practice fields. The contract was the last hurdle to cross before they started seeking donations.

In December, the School Board gave the Junior Indians and the MFHS Booster Club the green light to move forward with the project – so long as all $800,000 is raised before a single shovel hits the dirt. The board wanted to ensure no taxpayer dollars would be used to fund the project.

Menne said they are hoping to work with local companies who may be interested in making a sizable donation for the project, and perhaps offer naming rights for the field if a donor steps to the table. He said they’ll also turn to the community for donations, and would create some way to memorialize donors in Schumann Stadium.

While the Junior Indians stand to benefit from the installation of new turf, the district as a whole will also benefit greatly from the project.

Bricks can be purchased online, or receive further information via email from Athletic Director Ryan Anderson.

Turf Project at a Glance

New turf installation at Schumann Stadium would be the first domino to fall in the district’s five-year facilities plan and is key to opening up field space on the MFHS campus for softball and baseball.

In 2013-14, there will be new statewide regulations for size of girls’ softball fields. The 5-year plan includes a design for a new diamond on an existing practice field at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. A practice field could be removed since teams could practice on the new turf field without destroying it.

Building a diamond on campus would eliminate bussing costs, and cut down on scheduling conflicts at the Falls Little League Complex – the current home for the girl’s team.

According to plans presented in December to the board, replacement costs for the turf would be funded by the deferred maintenance costs of a grass field. It was estimated that annual maintenance for the grass field costs some $25,000 including labor and materials.