Football stadium still needs luck, donations

The Nest Builders are hoping for some dry weather.
CANFIELD -- An organization that is renovating Canfield High School's stadium with volunteers and donations gave the board of education an update on the project Tuesday.
Cardinal Nest Builders, a nonprofit group that formed to seek money for the renovations, broke ground for the project last month.
All of the construction work is being donated by people and businesses in the community, with the exception of the company that is installing the artificial turf.
Mike Fagert, the group's vice president of operations, told the board at a special work session that the project is going slower than expected because of rain. He said seven days have been lost. "We need some dry weather," he said.
Plans
He said that the stadium field is expected to be finished by Aug. 20.
There will also be a new band shell, but it is not expected to be finished until October. The field and band shell are Phase One of the project.
Phase Two includes visitor and home seating, which Nest Builders hopes to begin right after football season, Fagert said.
Phase Three will include renovations to a weight room-wrestling room and locker rooms.
Still seeking
Nest Builders' goal is to raise $2 million for the entire project. Fagert told the board that so far, the group has raised "just under $1 million."
"We have a ways to go."
Fagert said the group is looking for larger donations.
"We've made a lot of contacts," he said. "Everyone in the community has heard about this."
Nest Builders says the school district and community will get a lot more use out of the stadium. Unlike the real grass being replaced, the artificial turf will allow for more events in more types of weather, Fagert has said. He said Tuesday that the field is durable and will mean fewer injuries for athletes.
Superintendent Dante Zambrini suggested asking for donations in a newsletter and promoting the project at PTO open houses and conferences.
Nest Builders offers different levels of pledging donations, from $200 to $50,000. All donations more than $2,500 can be pledged over five years.
For more information, call Fagert at (330) 788-7011 or Mark Graham at Farmers National Bank at (330) 702-8425.