UPDATE: St. Edward High School Gets Public’s Help After Football Field Ruined By Weed-Killer
You have to admire the pluck of the St. Edward High School football team in Elgin, which is trying to recover from a fertilizer/weed killer mix-up that resulted in the devastation of its football field turf just a few weeks into the 2015 season.
You also have to admire the sense of humor and inventiveness displayed by the coaches, administrators and fans, who not only lived through the embarrassment of the miscue but have turned it into a positive with a fundraising effort that includes a Twitter hashtag and a GoFundMe drive.
And now you have to admire the good people of Kane County who are coming to the rescue. In just a few days, the GoFundMe drive has raised more than $13,000 for the cause.
The Courier-News reported that on Monday that the Green Wave (yes, that’s the team’s nickname) might be looking for a temporary venue because the company hired to maintain Greg True Field accidentally (oops!) swapped in the weed killer. The story has been picked up by Chicago area television and even national media.
St. Edward supporters reacted Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, with a social media campaign to raise funds, using the #?TurfDonationsWelcome? hashtag, Facebook posts by football coach Mike Rolando (@CoachRolando) and the previously mentioned GoFundMe drive.
“Well, this story took off over night and so many people have asked to help, and asked if we had a GoFundMe page, so here it is,” Rolando says on the page, which features an image of the field from an ABC-TV helicopter. “We are that team that had our grass killed accidentally by our landscaping company. The pictures and video that have surfaced tell the story.”
Coach Ro goes on to explain that St. Edward is a small Catholic School in Elgin with about 400 students and that the field is used not just by the football team, but by the soccer teams, gym classes, youth teams and cheerleaders.
“We are considering many options to make sure the kids have a safe and fun season, and seasons to come,” he said.
The Green Wave played one game on the dead grass already, but media reports today are saying that they’ll play Friday’s “home” game at Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst.
What St. Edward High School will do in the long run is still a question, as well.
“We are considering many options right now, from seeding, to sod, to that dream turf field,” Rolando said on the GoFundMe page. “Our actions will be determined as we assess our situation, but any funds donated to this page will be used to help repair the field. Whether that is for seed, resurfacing with dirt, sod, or even a turf field should your generosity allow.”
Here is a link to one of the news stories covering the field: News Coverage
You can also follow the St. Edward football team at www.stefootball.com and @CoachRolando on Twitter.
