The new year is upon us and when the ground thaws and we have our funding in place, the team is ready to begin construction as early as April.
The Maupin DRAC team continued to work tirelessly through the winter with the virtual "Let's Just Build a Real Track" event in December jumpstarting the final funding push that netted nearly $250,000. We continue to apply for grants and reach out to key individuals, companies and donors to get us to the finish line.
Central Oregon Daily did a follow up feature to the project that was filmed at the new Caldera High School in Bend Oregon. The school is being built by Kirby Nagelhout Contractors. The DRAC team has selected to Kirby to be the General Contractor for the Maupin Deschutes River Athletic Complex. They will break ground this spring, preparing the field for Beynon Sports to pour the track surface.
There is so much to be hopeful for as we gritted our way through 2020. We enter this new year with confidence that we will be able to gather at this amazing complex together in 2021. The momentum of the track project was not the only great news that was celebrated as we closed out 2020. A $4 million School Bond Measure along with another $4 million match was passed in the November Election. South Wasco County residents are proving that yes! they are looking to a positive future.
We have Grant Applications in process, ongoing communication with key donors and are beginning to plan for upcoming events as the complex is completed this summer. Nike has selected the Maupin Deschutes River Athletic Complex as a candidate for the Benevity Nike Match Program. This program double matches an employee's donation to the project. This means that a $5000 dollar donation will bring $15,000 into the project. If you are a Nike employee, or know of any, please mention this amazing way to get us to the finish line.
The Portland Track organization continues to plan events around the state and would love to host a world class race in September following the Tokyo Olympics. In 2020, Portland Track popped up a series of world class track meets during the summer. These meets were all hosted in Oregon and were livestreamed to the world. They gathered over 100,000 views on their Tracklandia Youtube Channel! We would love to host a new event in the Fall of 2021 similar to the Big Friendlies at the new Deschutes River Athletic Complex in Maupin.
To learn more about various ways to donate visit these links: