Highlander Strong campaign reaches out to the community

The lights turn on, and four hours later the switch is flipped – the lights turn off. This routine continues until the football players say “good-bye” for the season and walk off the field. Eighty hours is currently the estimated time the Homestead High School stadium is in full usage, each year.

Shabby bathrooms and a crammed concessions stand are neighbors of the outdated grass field, demonstrating how the student athletes have far outgrown the aged structures required for practice.  One group working under the moniker Highlander Strong is trying to fund a project for new facilities for a new generation of Homestead students.

Highlander Strong is a “capital campaign to support Homestead athletic campus upgrades” which will ultimately cost around $4.5 million. The Booster Club celebrated the official kick-off to the fundraising stage with a silent auction and socializing at the Pre-Turkey Day Tailgate on Nov. 22. By the end of the night, the Boosters raised $18,000. However, before the event, a significant donation by the Speaker Family was granted to the project. “It’s the right thing to do. Let’s get it done,” benefactor Tim Speaker said.

The project is planned in two phases. The first phase involves acquiring an athletic pavilion with updated concessions and bathrooms. A resurfaced track and state-of-the-art turf field will be constructed for the stadium. Also, re-grading and irrigating the current soccer field is on the checklist.

The second phase includes an entry gateway to the athletic facilities. The stadium will continue to receive updating through new expanded seating and a press box. The tennis courts will receive an enlarged deck for all its match courts. The Booster Club also has ideas for a future phase of the renovations that would include a turf infield for baseball and soccer.

Beyond the facilities itself the campaign intends to bring the school and community together. “First of all, I think all of our athletics deserve a facility that reflects the excellence of our community; of our families; of our school district; and of the success, time and effort that the athletes put in. I think the kids deserve it. I think the coaches deserve it. I think, more importantly, the community deserves it,” Mr. Fritz Rauch, defensive coordinator of the Highlander football Team, said.

Through the school community, Mr. Ryan Mangan, athletic director, has created a student group to facilitate in the Booster Club’s overall goal. Publicity, community outreach, fundraising and alumni outreach are a few of the committees students have the opportunity to be involved in.

The club has been established by an initial group of students willing to dive into the campaign. Co-presidents Katie Gebhardt and Emma Zander, sophomores, will be spearheading the organization along with nine executive chairs. During the initial meetings of the club, Mrs. Jennifer Zoeller, Booster Club president, and Mrs. Jane Westreich, social media coordinator, have been assisting the students with their ambitions. In the near future, any interested students will have the opportunity to join any of the committees.

Most of the students involved are athletes and have individual reasons for joining the campaign. “I am on the Highlander Strong committee to give a voice to the football and budding lacrosse teams. I’m looking forward towards closely working on the outdoor renovations and the beginning of our lacrosse program,” sophomore Jake Westreich, football player and member of the outreach and publicity committees, said.

Some students value the effect it will have on the school itself. “Attending the Mequon-Thiensville school district since elementary school has made me realize that improving the community is a big thing. Not only does Highlander Strong improve the environment at Homestead, but develops a stronger community for future students,” sophomore Alexandra Van Grunsven, basketball player and member of the thank you card and alumni committees, said.

Other members of the committee have minimized the focus on the athletics side of the program. “This campaign is important to me because I am in the band, and I would like marching on a better field. This campaign should be important to the community because it shines a better light on Mequon, and it is our kids who will be affected by the campaign,” junior Joseph Verespej, hockey player and member of the publicity and dance committees, said.

The student campaign’s first event is a winter dance set for Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. Eleven dedicated students are working on plans to make the night a tradition and an enjoyable experience for all students. However, the dance is only the culmination of the week’s activities.

Preceeding the dance is a week of fundraising led by Mr. David Keel, head football coach, to raise awareness for the campaign and dance. “This campaign should be important since most of the children in the district will eventually go to Homestead. So why not make sure they have the best facilities? I’m moving out of state at the end of the school year, and I want to leave a legacy behind,” sophomore Sydan Parker, chair of the student fundraising committee, said. The student club has big plans but also hardworking and dedicated students behind them. Plans for fundraising are still being finalized by Parker and his committee, but student athletes from various teams will be recruited to help the cause.

Yet, the campaign isn’t solely focused on athletes; it’s working to improve the lives of all students. After all the renovations it will affect over nine sports, countless gym classes and possibly events traditionally held indoors. “It’s going to have the ability to be a lacrosse field. Let’s get away from athletics; let’s talk about the marching band. Let’s talk about a community source. Let’s talk about gym classes. Let’s talk about graduation outdoors. Let’s talk about renting it out and having it as a source of money rather than as a drain,” Coach Rauch said. The money that goes into maintaining the field currently could be channeled to another Booster project.

The top-ranking school and K-12 school district in Wisconsin should have top-ranking outdoor facilities some argue. Others say with over forty state championships and the 8,300 recreational activity participants deserve this. While others argue one of the five school districts in the state to offer all twenty-three Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) sports should be equipped with the proper fields and courts for hosting any event.

Athletes who have actively been following the news of the campaign are excited for new opportunities. “Being a multi-sport athlete, I cannot wait to utilize the new upgrades as well as revisit them after my departure. The community will benefit as the actions of Homestead athletics reflect the state of Mequon-Thiensville as a whole,” junior Joseph Wasserman, co-chair of the bank card committee, said.

Nonetheless, many students do not know about the changes being made. Another goal of the student club is to raise awareness and promote overall school spirit. “We need to get kids out to all the sporting events. They could go in large groups to cheer on their peers,” Mrs. Zoeller said.

The Booster Club is hoping the renovations will be under way by next year.

The lights will turn on more frequently, and the athletes beneath them will shine even brighter. “So, yes, I certainly can see and I think we’re all sensitive (especially football coaches are sensitive) that it’s a football-only project but, I think that’s a limiting way to look at it. It should be and could be so much more than just a football field,” Coach Rauch said.