By Ian Cope
Montesano Youth Soccer
For years the vacant property behind the Montesano Public Works shop has sat empty. Now grass is growing on a full-size soccer field which will soon be filled with boys and girls playing what has been dubbed “the beautiful game.” For years, Montesano youth soccer has fought for field space with youth and high school football, baseball and fastpitch teams. But in August, the teams will finally have a field of their own.
“It’s a tribute to years of work and the efforts of several different volunteers and organizations,” said Montesano Youth Soccer Club president Chuck Fairbairn. “Youth soccer has the highest turnout of any youth sport in Montesano. What it lacks is the field space for all of them to play on. These fields off of Beacon Avenue should help relieve some of that pressure for all youth organizations.”
Through $25,000 in private donations and Montesano Youth Soccer Club funds, the City of Montesano was able to support the clearing, grading and planting of grass on the Beacon Avenue property. An additional $3,000 in soccer club money will be spent on new goals for the field.
What remains is the installation of six 90-foot light poles and 19 flood lights on the full-size field. The total cost of the lights and poles will come to nearly $88,000. Almost half of that has been raised through a grant from the Grays Harbor Community Foundation and private donations. The soccer club’s leadership is hopeful that private fundraising will complete the effort.
“The generosity of our community has been unreal. We are asking for that generosity to continue in a final fundraising drive that will keep this field illuminated day and night,” Fairbairn said. “We are hoping that a combination of grants and private donations will see the project through to the end.”
For information on how to make a tax deductible donation, call (360) 532-1600 or mail a donation to the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, c/o Montesano Youth Soccer Fund, at P.O. Box 615, Hoquiam, WA 98550.
The fundraising effort for the field lighting is yet to be completed, but work is already underway to prepare the field for the installation of the new lights. The youth soccer club is hopeful that work will begin in June, with the fields ready for use in August, when hundreds of players are expected to turnout at Beacon and the other sports fields of Montesano.
“Last fall we had nearly 400 boys and girls turnout for almost 40 teams. A shortage of fields means teams are practicing late into the night,” Fairbairn said. “In the spring we have to cap the age of our players and often urge them to play in other communities. Now we are so close to giving the young soccer players of Montesano a field of their own.”
Ian Cope is an organizer for Montesano Youth Soccer and a Montesano City Council member.
