L-K Community Sports Field In Online Grant Contest
Voting is now open for the Aviva Community Fund, where the L-K Community Sports Field Project could win a $100,000 grant.
Dresden’s highly anticipated Lambton-Kent Community Sports Field has a chance to win a $100,000 funding grant thanks to the Aviva Community Fund. The only requirement? You.
Voting is now open online, with a chance for users to vote once per day until 4 pm on October 23.
Early in 2014, the Dresden Community Development Association began to look at ways in which they might foster local improvements that would both be of benefit to the residents of the municipality and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Lambton-Kent community at large.
Input was solicited from multiple stakeholder groups and it was determined that revitalization of the local community sports field would produce the greatest positive impact on our community.
Situated on the spacious campus of the local high school, investment in this community sports field would benefit the student users who access the facility during daytime hours, as well as community user groups who have access to it beyond the bell times.
To realize this goal, a school – community partnership was formalized between the Lambton Kent District School Board and a collaborative of eight committed local service groups that included the Dresden Community Development Association.
Suggestions and ideas from the nine partner agencies resulted in a four-phased plan that would offer something to users from four to eighty-four years of age. This plan involved:
Phase One
- Resurfacing, renovation and irrigation of two soccer fields;
- Installation of a new asphalt running track.
Phase Two
- Installation of accessible community washrooms and storage facilities.
Phase Three
- Extension of the community Trillium Trail, a walking path available to local residents;
- Installation of outdoor fitness equipment.
Phase Four
- Construction of a new baseball diamond.
An 18% capital commitment from the school board, along with assurances that the revitalized facility would be maintained for the duration of its useful life, kick-started the fundraising campaign. One year later, $648,000 had been raised toward the total project cost of $740,000.
With the amassed funds, construction has begun on the initial phases. However, the final project phase remains unfunded. While activities and events planned for the benefit of the baseball diamond construction generate wonderful support from the community, a capital injection from the Aviva Community Fund would greatly aid in this endeavor and would help to meet an immediate need within the Lambton-Kent community.
Dresden is a hub for baseball programming. The Minor Baseball Association supports eight organized teams comprised of players from centers throughout Lambton-Kent. These players, for practice and play purposes, are fully utilizing the existing municipal diamonds, and there exists a demand for additional programming!
Construction of a new baseball diamond would allow the local Baseball Association to expand their programming to include a much needed and wanted Girls’ Softball Program, and would also allow for the expansion of the Slo-Pitch League within our community. All totaled, upward of 15 teams will be competing for the available diamond space during the upcoming season.
Given its location, this new diamond would also enhance both the curricular and extra-curricular opportunities available to students in the Lambton-Kent family of schools. Baseball and softball activities could be incorporated in the Physical Education program, and students could participate in inter-school extra-curricular play!
Completion of the Lambton Kent Community Sports Field Improvement Project would make the Dresden community an even more attractive place to work, live, and educate one’s family. This project is integral to the long-term health of area residents, and to the viability of Lambton-Kent’s schools, services and businesses.