Artificial Turf Fundraising Efforts Reinvigorated

Fundraising efforts to install artificial turf and Schumann Stadium have received an adrenaline shot of sorts lately. There are now a bevy ways to help Menomonee Falls High School reach its fundraising goal.

The turf fundraising project made headlines in 2011 when the School Board approved a plan to allow the installation of an artificial turf football field. The project was approved with the condition that all funds would be raised privately, and the school district would not push a penny into the project.

“This is a project everyone in the school will benefit from. The high school teams can use the field for practice when there are soggy conditions, and students from the high school and Ben Franklin will use the field for physical education,” said MFHS Athletic Director Ryan Anderson.

The district also plans to generate revenue through rental fees for the field. Currently, $67,000 has been raised from Booster Club concession revenue, along with a guaranteed donation of $150,000 to $200,000 from the Junior Indians Football Club.

A campaign to install a “Walk of Honor” with bricks purchased by donors fizzled after the campaign required a redesign. However, Anderson and the Capital Improvements Committee has re-launched that program and several others to reach a goal of $1 million for the turf, and bathrooms at the stadium.

The school logos on the bricks have been redesigned, and 47 have already been sold. Anderson hopes to install the first set of bricks in the north entrance for graduation. The bricks cost $100 for a small brick with three lines of text, to $750 for a 12-inch square brick with a business logo on it. If you'd like to purchase brick online visit the fundraiser website. 

Anderson said there is room for about 2,000 bricks on the “Walk of Honor,” and the fundraiser could generate another $200,000.

Mattress Fundraiser, and Extreme Makeover Field Edition

On Saturday, MFHS will partner with Steinhafels Furniture Store to raise funds for every mattress set sold. Mattresses will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MFHS new gym, and every mattress will generate $100 for the turf project. The mattresses will be sold at discounted rates.

The MFHS Booster Club and CIC are also organizing an Extreme Makeover Field Edition fundraiser. They are looking for residents and businesses to sponsor square yards on the field. Donations begin at $10 and can rise to $100, and each donor will receive a certificate and recognition on a commemorative plaque.

MFHS has also caught on with the family window sticker craze. Sets can be purcahsed for $20, but the characters have a unique Falls Athletics theme. All proceeds will benefit district sports and activities. 

Large-scale donors would also find a prominent place on a permanent plaque in Schumann Stadium, and those levels range from $100 to up to $500,000.  Anderson said they are also open to negotiations with a corporate donor for naming rights on the field.

Though it would remain Schumann Stadium, Anderson said they would place a corporate sponsors name on the back of the scoreboard, which faces 14,000 daily drivers on Appleton Avenue. A corporate sponsor’s name would also be placed on the field where allowed by the WIAA.

Contact the Athletic Office at (262) 255-8414 to inquire about any of the fundraising opportunities. 

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.

The deadline to begin construction in summer is May 1 each year. Ideally, all funds would be raised by May 1, 2014.