Blackbear United Football Club

Fields4Kids Program

Mission Statement:

Fields4Kids is a non-profit youth soccer organization focused on providing safe and adequate indoor and outdoor playing facilities for the Eastern Maine region. Fields4Kids’ focus is to:

Provide safe and drug-free facilities for youth to learn and play in a positive environment while promoting a healthy lifestyle
Offer a home for a year-round TOPSoccer Program for children with physical and mental disabilities ages 4 - 18
Provide coaching and referee education classes
Award scholarships to children within the Eastern Maine region for participation in local sports through scholarship program

Vision:

While soccer is the primary focus, the facilities will offer multi-sports programming including youth and adults. Fields4Kids will provide and administer an organized structure with safe and adequate indoor and outdoor playing fields for all sports. A primary focus for each Fields4Kids facility and program is promoting a healthy lifestyle through education, providing a drug-free and tobacco-free environment, and safety.

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Fields4Kids Purpose
Field Project Update
Indoor Facility
Outdoor Facility
How Can You Help?
Pledge Drive Update
View Growing Donor List
Pre-Booking Information for Facilities
Download Pledge Form

The purpose of the Fields4Kids campaign is two-fold: prepare the indoor facility infrastructure so that the grant from US Soccer Foundation can be utilized by December 2008, and begin the initial stages of development of the outdoor fields behind the Sports Arena prior to the winter months. The outdoor fields will be located behind the Sports Arena, since they have the parking and infrastructure in place, with more usable land that will keep the fields closer together. This will drastically reduce our construction costs. Plus, this is a great partnership with a facility where our kids and families can eat, play games and have some fun in between games or while one of their children is training.

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Field Project Update

There is much progress to report. We have some very exciting news about the US Soccer Foundation Grant. In September, our grant was extended until December 31, 2008, and we have been approved to use the grant to purchase Field Turf for an indoor field. Since the cost of an outdoor Field Turf field is nearly 1 million dollars, we immediately began searching for a warehouse we could lease that is suitable for our training needs. It has been extremely difficult to find a warehouse with a high roof and free span space conducive to soccer training, games and tournaments.

We are very excited to announce that we have found a home for our club at Beal College in Bangor, Maine. The last 30 days have moved rapidly, with countless visits with construction companies and engineers. We’ve signed a 10 year lease, and obtained permission for a building permit through the efforts of Randy Bragg from Carpenter Associates, who created the design and negotiated with the state inspector to obtain necessary permits for the construction upgrades.

The first construction budget was quoted at $271,000 to upgrade the facility to meet the code standards with the proper upgrades. We have received countless in-kind donations from companies to help make this project a reality. Our total project budget now stands at $114,000. A special thank you to the following companies who have provided substantial discounts through at cost materials, donated labor or made a substantial donation to make the construction possible;

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Description of Indoor Facility: The site will house 2 fields for training and games complete with Field Turf. Each field is 60 feet x 80 feet, separated by metal beams. The A-frame ceiling is 28 feet high at the highest point and 14 feet at the lowest point. The space is ideal for training, games and tournaments in a small-sided setting. The possibilities for rental revenue include: baseball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, fitness, karate/tai kwan do classes, pee wee football, and more. Additional revenue may be generated through advertising, rentals for multi-use, recreation programs, day care programs, and birthday parties etc.

The construction schedule has been set with demolition beginning the week of November 10-14th. Our goal is to upgrade the warehouse to an operating indoor facility within six weeks. Once the project is complete and passes inspection, the facility should be ready to host a 3v3 Tournament on January 10th with a grand-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony to kick-off the new facility.

Description: Capital improvements to 12,565 square foot facility located at 99 Farm Road (Old Saucony/New Balance Shoe Factory) estimated at $114,000. This includes:

Site design and permitting performed by Carpenter Associates
Demolition work performed by Sunny Day Builders, and Commercial Divers Inc. under the direction of Joe Kacer: remove ceiling fixtures including old pipes, fans, and items that are not needed; install/upgrade to sprinkler system based on permitting and codes; remove walls and areas that are no longer needed; upgrade windows; install new double doors per code requirements.
New heating and cooling system installed by ABM Mechanical including propane tanks plus plumbing work in bathrooms
Prep work for ABM and upgrade bathrooms necessary for number of people in facility performed by JM Brown Construction;
Upgrade electrical system for lights and needs performed by EL Tech Electric
Installation of economical and eco-friendly light system by supplied by Horizon Solutions (**Qualify for Efficiency Maine Grant) performed by EL Tech Electric

Cash and Value In-Kind Donations Received To Date

$100,000 United States Soccer Foundation grant used to install 12,000 square feet of Field Turf. (Delivery date set for December 15th). View pictures of progress -
Received $50,000 donation from Beal College for capital improvements
Received $17,250 in donations from public/private sector
Received over $80,000 value in-kind donations from local companies dedicated to project and program
Received waiver for first year lease payments
Received just over $25,000 in prepayment for rentals

Cash and Value In-Kind Donations Still Needed
$25,000 in donations

Volunteer work for painting, building office, hanging wall-padding, installing doors and hanging netting and scoreboards.

To offer your assistance, please call MJ Ball at 991-8940 or send an email to mjball@fields4kids.org.

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Outdoor Field Update

The Sports Arena Fields4Kids Soccer Park is moving forward, with CES Engineers working on the design and drainage plans with a meeting with the Hermon Site Planning Board on November 12th (Update - Plan unanimously approved by Hermon Site Planning Board). Our goal is to add drainage pipes to fields in the next 45 days then grade and hydro seed the fields in late March or early April so that complex will be ready for fall season.

Materials Wish List for the Sports Arena Fields4Kids Soccer Park (first field)

Filter Fabric to cover 87,000 sq. ft.

Gravel: 18" depth, Type "B", 4800 cu. yards.

Topsoil: 6" depth, 1700 cubic yards

4500' of 4" underdrain for the field

500' of 12" underdrain for perimeter

3 Type "F" catch basins for one side of the field

Good quality seed or high grade hydro-seed to cover the field and slopes about 3.5 acres

All companies who donate material or supply at cost will receive prominent recognition through signage at the Sports Arena Fields4Kids Soccer Park.

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HOW TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM AND GET INVOLVED?

To accomplish our fast approaching deadline, we are asking families who submitted pledges to donate their 2008 pledges and if possible, pay their 2009 pledges early. We are also seeking other families to donate to the project so we can utilize the facility as early as December. Download a pledge form today!

Indoor Facility Goal:

Raise $37,000 in new cash and in-kind donations.

Receive $18,000 in 2008 pledges and $14,000 in 2009 pledges (either in 2008 or early in 2009)

Outdoor Complex Goal: Raise $200,000 in cash and garner in-kind donations to grade, loam, provide drainage and seeding for four grass fields.

The biggest thing you can do right now is get involved! Talk to people, at work, school, everywhere. You might be surprised to find that someone you know, knows someone who works for a business that could provide material or services critically needed in developing this complex, needs indoor or outdoor space to rent, and/or wants to advertise to hundreds of sport enthusiasts and families. Please don’t delay, help today!

• Find businesses and/or individuals willing to donate
• Find clubs or organizations willing to donate or rent time
• Contact people you know with the skills needed to develop the fields
• Donate cash
• Donate time
• Help by volunteering with demolition, carpentry, painting, cleaning etc.
• Talk to people you know and see if they know someone willing to help

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THREE YEAR PLEDGE DRIVE UPDATE
2007 was the first year of a 3-year fund-raising drive to raise money for the Fields4Kids (formerly called Funding the Future) Program. To date we have received just over $55,000 in pledges to support our much needed fields.

In 2007, we received $19,923.33 in donations from pledges

Our 2008 pledges totaled $21,071.33 with $3,003.33 received to date

$14,577.34 pledged in 2009

We thank everyone who has so generously pledged and donated (see list of contributors listed below).

Just over $55,000 has been pledged with $27,000 received! We need to continue the momentum and make our Fields4Kids drive a success!! Please help us meet this challenge by considering a donation to our program!

Pledge Form

If you know of any friend, relative, or small business owner who might be interested in contributing to this project, please contact them, or have us contact them. All donors of $1,000 or more will receive permanent recognition on the “Wall of Fame” at both the indoor facility and outdoor soccer complex.

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Families and Businesses Who Have Donated to Field4Kids Program

If you would like to have your name added to this list of supporters, please complete the online pledge form or download the pledge form and send your tax deductible gift today.

Premier ($10,000 and above)
Rich, Barbara, Rachel, Megan, Jocelyn and Alexander Ball
Downeast Orthopedics

Championship ($5,000 - $9,999)
Hal, Laurie, Jordon and Josh Meyers
Jay, Sandy, Sarah, Abi and Chapin Pyne
Paul and Martha Waldron

Captain’s Club ($2,500 - $4,999)
In Celebration of Isaac and Sophie Arabadjis
The Babbitt Family - In Memory of Joseph Lane Brown, the 110% kid – forever in our hearts
The Cushing Family
Denali M. Graham and Family
The Hilliard/Waldron Family
Art, Katie, Patrick, Maggie and Jenny Kane
The Malmer Family
The McKay Family
Newport Chiropractic - Michael Saulter D.C.

Supporter ($1,000 - $2,499)
MJ, Heather and Aidyn Ball
Bowlan Family 2007
Seth, Mariko, Wade and Mayako Brown
The Claeson Family
Hanna and Kenny Colpritt
The Gilmore Family
Kevin and Susan Griffin
Tim and Janice Griffin
The Jones Family
The Kacer Family
Kurt Mathies
Madlin, Wil and Brian Mekelburg
Roof Systems of Maine
The Sing and Prusaitis Families
The K. Townsend's, Hampden
The Wadman Family

Player’s Club ($500 to $999)
In Memory of Robert S. Cyr
Travers, Johanna, Riley, Taylor and Acadia Evans
The Hale Family “For the Future of Youth Soccer in Downeast Maine”
Ron & Tavi Kelley
Joel, Lisa and Griffin Nye, Logan and Lexie Larabee
Phil & Peggy LeClair
Julia, Cameron and Jason Mathies
James, Elizabeth and Chris McConnon
John, Diane, Kaitlin and Yates Murphy
Phil & Laurie Normand
Tim & Patsy Oversmith
Megan & Ryan Pritham
Michelle Toder, Jake, Lily and Dave Koffman

Friends Club ($100 to $499)
Angie Arbo
Gerry & Ronda Chasse
The Clien Family
David & Julia Farrar
General Re Services Corporation
Barry Goodell & Jodi Jellison
Jennifer Grey
John & Ginger Hwalek - "Here's To Soccer in Eastern Maine"
The Kolyvek Family
Bruce & Emily Leonard
Cam Pierel & Cathy Roberts
Dr. Michael, Kimberly, Alex and Max Ross
Kaitlin, Brianna and Michaela Saulter
Marc Silverstein
The Tarrs - Ryan, Kevin, Ken and Brenda

Pledge Form

Online Pledge Form

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Rental Rates - We are pre-booking time and advertising signs at the Fields4Kids Facilities.

Advertising Opportunities - We have both advertising and sponsorship opportunities for the Fields4Kids Indoor Sports Facility and will announce our opportunities for the Sports Arena Fields4Kids Soccer Park in the new year.

Fields4Kids Indoor Sports Facility Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities

Fields4Kids Indoor Sports Facility Rental Rates

The Sports Arena Soccer Park Rental Rates

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