West Orange seeks donations for replacement turf field

Adam Miller, the athletic director at West Orange High School, is reaching out to the community of West Orange County to help the school replace its synthetic turf field.

According to Miller, the replacement field will cost $333,904, and the full cost must be paid up front. Current donations toward the cause total $63,250, leaving $270,654 to be raised by the school’s target date of Feb. 1, 2015.

West Orange’s current turf field was installed in the winter of 2006 and has been in use for eight years. The synthetic surface has allowed for low maintenance costs over those years while the school has hosted any number of athletic events, including its varsity football, soccer and lacrosse games, as well as other events, such as the FHSAA State Finals for boys and girls lacrosse and, most recently, the Orange County Senior Bowl.

While the field is currently functional, it has begun to show signs of wear and tear over the past few years. Should it become unplayable without the funds for a replacement, the turf would be deemed unsafe, and West Orange would be unable to play any home games in football, soccer or lacrosse.

Money the school has allocated toward a replacement is being used to pay off the current field. In 2006, when the original deal was made to make West Orange the first school in Central Florida to have a turf field, five donors were to have covered 60% of the costs. According to Miller, when it was time for the donors to remit their portions of the payment, the nationwide economic downturn had begun, and the donors backed out of their agreement. The school turned to the Orange County School Board to cover the remaining balance, and West Orange has been repaying the county since.

“The Athletic Department challenges every local business, family household, friends, alumni, etc., to donate to the West Orange Athletic Synthetic Turf Fund,” Miller said in a statement. “No amount is too small. … Every dollar given will help us achieve our goal. 

To make a donation, visit HERE.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].