Finishing the Job

Pioneer Athletic Booster Club president Rob Rankin hopes donations can cover up to $900,000 for the new athletic complex, which includes new shot put and discus areas.

Therma-Tron-X donation boosts fundraising to complete Sevastopol athletic complex

Donors can help the Sevastopol School District avoid spending tax dollars while correcting several shortcomings at the athletic complex in Institute.

For years, spectators at soccer and football games and track meets have used portable toilets, and booster club members have hauled water to the simple, 10-foot-by-16-foot concession stand and taken turns bringing dishes home to wash.

The football field has already been recrowned and has new turf. Condemned bleachers have been replaced, and the track has a new rubberized surface. But the track and field teams’ throwers currently fling the discus in the general direction of cars, and then walk back and forth across the track into the infield to compete in shot put.

“They threw across the playground toward the parking lot,” Luedtke said.

A proposed Phase II of Sevastopol’s facilities modernization calls for one unified area for the weight hurlers, as well as a pavilion that would house restrooms, an officials’ room, a space for trainers to check on injured athletes and a concession stand connected to water and sewer lines.

The Pioneer Athletic Booster Club is off to a great start fundraising for the project, estimated at $900,000 to $1 million, depending on how bids come in this winter. Therma-Tron-X has already donated $500,000, and the boosters have mailed out fundraising materials.

“Our hope is that the students, staff and community are blessed for years to come with this contribution,” said Chad Andreae, Sevastopol High girls soccer coach and Therma-Tron-X vice president of sales, when making the donation.

The more donations that come in for the project, the less the district will need to dip into its healthy maintenance-fund savings.

“If we don’t have to lean on the school for any of [the $900,000], that would be great,” said Rob Rankin, president of the Pioneer Athletic Booster Club.

The boosters were planning some Facebook Live promotions in February for the donation drive, and Rankin said they’ll be calling on some businesses. They’re also open to selling advertising and naming rights to businesses or individuals.

“If somebody gave $200,000, we would give them naming rights to the concession stand,” Luedtke said.

Therma-Tron-X will have naming rights for the stadium, but other major donors may gain naming rights for the discus area, the rebuilt bleachers and the press box. Rankin said the boosters plan to fill a sign or wall with the names of all those who donated, no matter the size of the gift.

Luedtke expressed his appreciation to district residents for past fundraising efforts and hopes the boosters find a lot of donors to limit how much the district must dip into its maintenance department savings. Still, the district has a surplus in its maintenance fund, mainly because school leaders avoided all major upgrades and repairs during a four-year period while waiting for new construction and the demolition of old portions of the building.

“Our maintenance budget’s in great shape because before the building project, we hadn’t done projects within the building and grounds,” Luedtke said.

To donate online, visit givelify.com/donate/pioneer-athletic-booster-club-sturgeon-bay-wi-2j7wy5OTc3MDU=/donation/amount. Donations may also be dropped off at Nicolet National Bank. Checks should be made out to “Pioneer Athletic Booster Club,” with a note in the check’s memo area directing funds to the athletic complex.