Glen Rock Turf Group Sets Goal of Raising $250K in 2012

With its big fundraising event just around the corner, local grassroots group Game On! Glen Rock hopes to have big money in the bank by the time 2013 rolls around.

"The goal this year, when all the smoke clears and December 31st comes around, is to have raised $250,000 to $300,000 in total," group chairman Michael Stewart told the council on Sept. 24. "That's between the raffle, the gala and any other corporate commitments we may get along the way."

The group has raised more than $155,000 as of September to transform muddy Lower Faber Field into a dual-field sports complex for the local youth. Game On! estimates 50-80 percent of youth games scheduled for Faber in recent years have been cancelled due to inclement weather.

The borough council has said it doesn't have the money to fund the project itself, and no taxpayer dollars are to be used in the rehabilitation efforts.

Organizers of Game On! are hoping the big gala dinner at the Venetian in Garfield will bring significantly more to the group's coffers.

The $100-a-plate dinner features a full, open bar; bands; casino games; auctions; and a live band. They've raised over $11,000 in business sponsorships thus far, Stewart told the council.

(You can donate here if interested.)

Besides fundraising, Game On! recently reapplied for the US Soccer Foundation grant and is applying to two other grants. Though they've dropped the grant writer brought on last year, the grassroots group is more familiar with the process and believe persistence will pay off.

Advertising commitments for the field have been made as well, Stewart said. 

"Four of which are banners, one of which is potentially a scoreboard," the chairman said.

The overall design hasn't changed, Stewart said. Once more money comes in and an engineer performs further tests, the rendering can be tweaked. 

If all goes as planned, the field should be installed by August of 2014.

Stewart hopes the new fields at the high school will energize the citizens to further support Game On! Glen Rock.

"I don't know if it's going to energize people to say 'We've got to get it down there,' or 'We have it here, why do we need it there?'" he said to the council. "I'm not really sure."

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