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Science Hill Athletics Director Keith Turner, center, speaks during the committee meeting. Science Hill athletic director Keith Turner spoke during Wednesday’s meeting at the school.
(Madison Mathews / Johnson City Press)

Committee discusses stadium fundraising

By Brad Hicks
Press Staff Writer
bhicks@johnsoncitypress.com

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With school and city officials hoping to see the new stadium at Science Hill High School completed by the start of football season next fall, several officials met Wednesday to begin preliminary discussions on how fundraising efforts could be conducted for the new stadium.

Science Hill High School Athletic Director Keith Turner presented ideas for fundraising for an athletic field house and weight room. Turner said he would like to see a fundraising proposal put together for approval by the Johnson City Board of Education at its January meeting.

Turner said he would like to see the construction of at least a 10,000 square-foot field house at the new stadium’s site. In September, the Johnson City Commission approved proceeding with the construction of a new stadium on the high school campus. Previously, a report by Don Paige and Ed O’ Hara with Clough, Harbor and Associates presented information that a new field house would cost around $2.8 million, however the city has budgeted $5 million in this year’s budget for the stadium project.

Knox Bearden High School in Knoxville is also going through a field house fundraising campaign and officials there had compiled a list of prices of everything from concrete to paint to give an idea of what the school would need to raise and what items they could seek donations for. Turner said he would like to see Johnson City compile a similar list. Turner also asked those present to come up with a list of names of potential donors.

Also, Turner said other fundraising possibilities include potential naming opportunities. Through this, donations would be taken to give naming rights to items such as the field house, weight room, locker room and coaches’ offices.

“I think that’s something that we definitely have to explore,” he said. “If there’s somebody out there that wants to give us $250,000 to get this thing started and it means signing a 10-year contract for naming rights to the stadium, to me that’s worth it if it’s the type person’s name we want on the place.”

A donor recognition wall was another possibility presented, in which donors would have their names put on a wall either inside or on the field house. Turner also said a locker campaign to recognize past and present Science Hill athletes could be implemented. Through this, a monetary gift would allow for an athlete’s information being placed on a name plate to be put upon a locker.

Turner feels that a “buy-a-brick” campaign could raise at least $100,000. In this, someone could buy a brick and have his or her name inscribed on it. The brick would then be placed along “The Topper Walk,” which is a trail that would lead into the stadium. Plaques could also be purchased and placed along this trail.

Science Hill High School Principal John Boyd said he hopes to see a committee process used with the new stadium and gave an overview of committee possibilities, which include a committee over the concession stand, one for traditions, a track and field use committee, a naming rights committee, and even a committee to look at suggestions with what to do with the Doughboy statue currently at Memorial Stadium. Any committee formed would first have to be approved by the school board, Boyd said.

Turner said the Fundraising Leadership Committee will meet again on Nov. 24 to further discuss fundraising efforts.