It’s okay now.
The moment you arrive on any Union City Area School District campus, especially near Union City Middle/High School, the work that has been done becomes apparent.
The first thing you’ll see is the Victory Bell with its brick base and the new concession stand.
That’s just a small part.
Under the guidance of the Union City Sports Complex Committee, the Sports Complex underwent extensive renovations, and when the fall sports season began in August, fans enjoyed a prettier, brighter Sports Complex.
This effort was undertaken with love and support from many community members, business owners, organizations, teachers and the Union City Board of Education.
“On behalf of the Union City Sports Complex Committee, we are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from the Union City community,” said Kyle Blakeslee, chairman of the Union City Sports Complex Committee. “Over the past four years, we have been successful in raising approximately $550,000.”
But there’s more to it than a new concession building purchased by the Union City School District for about $350,000 and the foundation for the victory bell donated by businessman George Fox in memory of his late wife, Cindy — the bell was donated by Jim Shreve and the scoreboard was sponsored by Monarch Student Transportation.
“These funds have been used to pay for new dugouts and baseline fencing for the softball and baseball fields, the removal of overgrown trees around the sports complex, the installation of a victory bell and most recently the construction of a new press box,” Blakeslee said. “During this time, the Union City Area School District has funded a new concession stand, perimeter fencing, storage sheds, track resurfacing, cement sidewalks, goal posts and solving drainage issues around the football field.”
The renovated Union City Sports Complex has a new concession building, a resurfaced track with new fencing and a new press box. Not pictured are a victory bell, new goal posts, scoreboard and dugouts for the baseball and softball fields.
It took a few years, but it all started with a group of like-minded people putting their heads together in 2019.
Some community leaders in Union City and the Union City Area School District had a vision to improve the Union City Sports Complex.
“We began a feasibility study in 2019,” Blakeslee said. “At the request of the school district, the Union City Community Foundation funded the study. We partnered with them to provide the funding.”
Community and school district leaders met to consider how to move the project forward.
The Union City Sports Complex was established in 2019, but the COVID pandemic hit before the project could get off the ground in earnest.
So in the fall of 2020, with support from the Union City Area School District Foundation, the committee launched a formal fundraising campaign.
Donations were voluntary, but people could donate at a variety of donation levels, including Friends level (starting at $1,000), Bronze level, Silver level, Gold level, and Mega level (over $100,000).
Funds were raised and with the hard work of the committee and other stakeholders, the sports complex was renovated.
“This is truly a community effort and reflects the passion for Union City’s proud sports, band and cheerleading traditions and the positive impact it has on our student-athletes,” Blakeslee said. “Every initiative we pursued has been completed. The school has made a tremendous contribution.”
Union City Area School District Superintendent Matthew Bennett agreed that the renovated sports complex was a team effort.
“This sports facility is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of our community and the Board of Education,” Bennett said. “With everyone’s unwavering dedication to our youth and the future of our community, they have transformed this site into an incredible place where dreams are nurtured and champions are born.”
Local businessman Steve Jones, who serves on the Union City Sports Complex committee, is very proud of the sports complex, and he too thinks it’s a great place to be.
“It’s beautiful,” Jones said. “It’s better than I expected.”
Blakeslee said the number of donors is too numerous to list, but he would like to thank several particularly significant donors, including the Union City Community Foundation, Pennsylvania Construction Services, Community House, County Fair, Parker Hannifin Co. and L&D Tree Services.
“I would also like to thank the Gokal, Jones, Fox, Clark, Wellmon and Cooper families for their generosity,” Blakeslee said.
Upcoming projects include excavating a football field with a new track, jumping and throwing area and drainage system, and building a sports complex with artificial turf, new lighting, locker rooms, storage and indoor practice space.
So far, the sports complex has made great progress.
“All of this comes together to deliver a dramatic renovation of our outdoor sports facilities that will be treasured by our students and the community for generations to come,” Mr Blakeslee said.
