E&H plans field of dreams

By JUSTIN HARMON/Staff

Emory & Henry’s football field hasn’t been the most accommodating for visiting team, especially if those visiting teams had hoped for a night game.
The college hopes to change that before the first kickoff of the next season.
Dirk Moore, director of public relations for the school, said an overhaul of the football arena has been part of improvement talk for some time.
“It’s been on minds for a while,” he said.
The field currently doesn’t have much to offer in the way of facilities for visitors and with not lights around the field, night play is downright impossible. The two-phase plan agreed upon by E&H will address those issues as well as several others. The first phase, scheduled to be completed before next season begins, will see the installation of perimeter fencing, field lighting and the grass replaced with artificial turf. Moore said the college would break ground in the spring.
Those improvements come with a $1.5 million price tag, all of which was attained through fundraising. Moore said the school as so far raised $2.9 million of the total $4.5 million to complete the field. E&H had begun the fundraising process in July. Moore said the plan originally had been to span three years; however, he expected the final project to be finished much earlier..
“It depends on continued fundraising, but we’re very optimistic,” he said.
One reason for Moore’s optimism comes from the community support the field is receiving.
On Jan. 29, Food Country and First Bank & Trust each donated $50,000 for the purpose of purchasing a scoreboard.
“We’re very proud of this school,“ said president and chief executive officer of First Bank & Trust Bill Hayter in a press release. “First Bank & Trust is a local bank, headquartered in this area, and we have a history with this college that goes back a long time.“
Food Country’s Vice President Todd Creasy had much of the same to say.
“We’re proud to be part of this project. Emory & Henry is a good fit for us and this community, and it will be a proud day we can see the names of Food Country and First Bank & Trust on the new scoreboard,“ he said in a press release.
The second phase of the project will see the construction of a two-story field house with locker rooms, offices and meeting spaces, a new scoreboard, a press box and new entrance areas.
According to a press release, the newly refurbished field will host soccer as well as football and will be available to other teams in the community that want to hold night games and tournaments.
According to Moore, the field refurbishment is part of a larger plan dubbed the “Prelude to Performance” campaign, a $16.5 million project that includes the football field and the $12 million Woodrow W. McGlothlin Center for the Arts. So far, the arts center fundraising has received $6.9 million, including $6 million in gifts and pledges from the McGlothlin Foundation.
Emory & Henry President Rosalind Reichard said she couldn’t be happier with the way things are going and what they mean for the college and community.
“Progress on both parts of this campaign has been impressive, which demonstrates the value that this college has in this community and in the lives of the people whom it affects.”
Justin Harmon can be reached at 628-7101 or