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ASHLAND Phillips Field fundraising goal is a moving target Ashland High School is raising money to replace the turf on its athletic field Comment By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 22, 2016 at 10:52 AM By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 22, 2016 at 10:52 AM » Social News Ashland Schools Foundation Executive Director Susan Bacon can’t say for sure how close the district is to reaching its fundraising goal for replacing the grass at Walter A. Phillips Field with a synthetic surface. That’s because both the goal and the donations are constantly shifting as bid estimates change and grants are either awarded or turned down. What Bacon can say with a high level of confidence is that as of Tuesday the district was still about $20,000 to $30,000 short of its initial target of $1,148,000, which will cover the cost of a new field packed with rubber infill, new stadium lights, altering the visitors bleachers and other upgrades. Once the district reaches that goal, Bacon said, it will start fundraising for one final upgrade — a natural infill that will make the field more grass-like and cooler in the summer, but will also jack up the price another $205,000 to a total of $1,353,000. There’s a catch. The district has applied for a grant offered by the U.S. Soccer Foundation that, if secured, will cover approximately $77,000. Bacon says there’s an “extremely high possibility” that Ashland will be awarded the grant, but it won’t know for sure until late March or early April. Her estimate regarding Ashland’s shortfall includes that grant. “The reality is, we’re not going to know for certain if we’re at our crumb rubber fill, 65-yard-wide field goal until April, and we can’t wait for that," she said. "We have to just go on faith that that grant is going to come through and these other pieces should fall into place fairly close to that or before it. So we’re now going to start moving ahead and fundraising to kind of continue to close the little bit of a gap that we have.” Several other grants that could put the district over the top are also in play, Bacon added, but it is likely that more private donations will be needed, and the sooner the better. A core group of about 10 volunteers have been working on the fundraising project since Ashland High alum and Major League pitcher Jeremy Guthrie came to AHS to help kick off the campaign and pledge $650,000 last March. Another 15 to 20 volunteers are soliciting potential donors. If the district is able to meet the goal for the rubber infill, Superintendent Jay Hummel believes pushing the extra mile and getting a natural fill would be worth the price tag. According to studies, advantages that a natural, organic infill — some versions are a mixture of ground-up cork, coconut fiber and rice fiber — has over traditional rubber infill include a surface temperature that’s as much as 25 percent cooler, a higher G-max impact rating and a cleaner playing experience. It’s also completely biodegradable, and in fact could be added to other fields in the district when it’s eventually replaced. If the district cannot raise enough money to cover the natural infill by March 14, Hummel added, it will have to move forward with a rubber infill field, assuming that cost is covered. To contact Bacon about making a donation, call the Ashland Schools Foundation at 541-482-8197 or see www.ashland.k12.or.us and click on the “Ashland High School Turf Field Campaign” box on the left side of the page. Joe Zavala is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 22, 2016 at 10:52 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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