Waukesha's Fields of Many Dreams

WAUKESHA – The Fields of Many Dreams project in Waukesha is getting its second wind.

After a slow summer, the project to install a synthetic surface on the football fields of the three Waukesha public high schools is ramping up for a hard push to its targeted $1.8 million fundraising goal.

“We’ve hit the ground running,” said Glen Norder, director of facilities for the Waukesha School District.

The project is seeking $600,000 per field at Waukesha North, Waukesha South and Waukesha West. The project had raised $300,000 through the spring and is slightly above that number after its initial fall fundraising project.

“We started with a letterwriting campaign for all the kids who use the fields in the fall,” Norder said. “We sent out about 700 letters last week and got a good response right away. It’s nice when your mailmen brings you 30 donations. We’ve had everything from $10 to $500.”

Norder said the Waukesha Warriors youth football team will send out letters next, followed by Waukesha Youth Football. SC Waukesha also has expressed interest in supporting the fundraising and also will send out letters and offer a website that will accept donations.

“We’re fired up,” Norder said. “We’re still optimistic we will make this happen. Our goal is 2012, but we’ve got to try hard the next few months and into the winter season.”

The Waukesha Warriors were given a donation of a 2011 Triumph motorcycle, which they passed on to the Fields of Many Dreams project. Norder is in the process of securing a raffle permit from the state so tickets can be sold to win the bike. Norder said the project’s committee has been in touch with local auto dealers and motorsport dealers to secure an automobile or all-terrain vehicle for the raffle.

“We’re all trying to secure things,” Norder said. “We’ll be able to sell tickets for a raffle at football games, soccer, band camps, a lot of things.

“It’ll be nice to get those things out in front of people at games,” Norder said. “Once they see the prizes, I’m sure people will be interested. It won’t just be Waukesha fans, but people from Kettle Moraine, Mukwonago, whoever is playing that game.”

Norder’s passion is driving the project, and he’s finding any opportunity he can to sell the project. He most recently gave a tour of Waukesha South High to the Class of 1961 and sold the project to members of that class.

“I made sure I got a plug in,” he said. “I’m sure this will continue to snowball.”

While the original goal was lofty – wanting the fields to be installed for this season despite pitching the project in the winter – getting the turf for the 2012 season is going to be pushed hard by the committee, which has no intention of seeking anything different than the ProGrass surface that was originally sought.

“We don’t want to cheapen the surface just to get it done,” Norder said. “It’s a newer generation of the turf Kettle Moraine has. We’d like to stay with that.”

Visit the Field of Many Dreams website

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