A Better Place to Play Campaign receives large donation to fund ADA Ball Field at new Sports Park

EDWARDSVILLE - The community-wide fundraising effort for three new recreational facilities in Edwardsville recently received additional funding for the proposed Sports Park by an anonymous donor. The $200,000 donation will go towards construction of the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ball field at the Sports Park and gives the anonymous donor naming rights of the field, later to be announced. 

Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton is excited about this recent donation as well as the planned Sports Park to be located near the I-55 Corridor. “The new Sports Park will have something for everyone. The green space will include soccer softball, baseball and soccer fields, as well as tennis and pickleball courts. The most recent donation will be used towards the all-accessible field for those with special needs. This is a much needed recreational space for Edwardsville with so many select ball and soccer teams in need of fields.” 

The Sports Park is one of three parks being funded by the A Better Place to Play campaign, which seeks donations from area businesses and individuals wishing to improve the community’s recreational offerings. A Spray & Play park at the intersection of South Main Street and Schwarz is also being funded by the campaign and is now under construction. The Spray & Play Park is expected to open in summer 2016. An Ice Rink and Teen Center to be located on the District #7 grounds is also being planned. The Ice Rink and Teen Center would help fill the need for ice time in the area and support many of the local hockey and figure skating needs.

Patton adds, “Edwardsville already has so much to offer visitors and residents. Adding these three new parks will make this community even stronger. It will support our local businesses with additional hotel stays, restaurant visits and other retail spending and it will help facilitate the many practice and play hours needed for our local teams. An investment in parks also helps in building stronger family bonds and keeping our local residents healthy.”

For those interested in donating to the campaign, there are many options. Recently, the City of Edwardsville also announced a new coupon booklet for businesses or individuals wanting to make monthly donations to one of the three recreational faculties facilities or to the general fund. A minimum donation of $50 per month is requested for the use of the coupon booklets. To receive a coupon booklet or for more information about the campaign and how to become a sponsor, please contact Katie Grable of Edwardsville Parks & Recreation at (618) 692-7538. 

The A Better Place to Play campaign partners with the Edwardsville Community Foundation so all donations are tax deductible. To donate, visit http://www.betterplacetoplay.com or http://www.edwardsvillecommunityfoundation.org. Donations may also be mailed to Edwardsville Community Foundation to P.O. Box 102, Edwardsville, IL 62025. Please make a notation on your check that the funds are to be applied to the “A Better Place to Play” Campaign. If you wish to support a specific parks project, please also notate the designated park with your donation.

 “A Better Place to Play” may also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/abetterplacetoplay and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BP2Play.

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