Jayson Stone and Joe Klupp pulled together a sizable project for Madison athletics: Renovation of the stadium, with new track resurfacing and artificial turf. The two men also helped raise 90 percent of the funds within six months.
Wednesday evening, the Madison board of education passed the motion to approve the project.
“This goes way beyond athletics,” statedboard president Jeff Meyers, “We’re blessed to have you.”
With the combined efforts of the Madison Stadium Renovation Committee and the Madison Athletic Boosters, Stone and Klupp said they were humbled by the financial commitment local businesses and community members made towards this project. “The community has really turned out to support this thing,” declared Meyers.
“Six months ago I established a team of people,” Stone stated, “and when we went into it, we thought we had a good idea. That idea was to get new turf and a new track. And I believe that idea is soon to become a reality in 2014 here in Madison,” declared Stone. They will soon be presenting a specific portfolio to the board, with details of the pledges from community businesses in combination with the athletic boosters.
“I’m honored to be a part of a school and a school district that’s committed to the students and student athletes,” he said. “I will continue my diligent work and so will my committee.” Jayson Stone had formed the Madison Stadium Improvements Committee in January of this year. He later commented, “You might say its a Madison tradition to play in the mud,” but when he approached the community on the project, “It was a real eye opener.” Everything will be upgraded because of their support.
Stone partnered with Joe Klupp, president of the Madison Athletic Boosters. Meyerst said “It’s not just for athletic facilities. Our boosters go way beyond that.” The Madison Athletic Boosters have helped out with student scholarships for the high school students, in addition to their other efforts as a boosters program. This project, for Klupp, has been “an exciting six months of help and community support.” The approval of track resurfacing and of an artificial turf field marks one of the biggest renovation projects the Madison Athletics Boosters has ever embarked on.
Coach Conway gave his benedictions from the locker room the next morning. “We are extremely blessed. We are extremely blessed with our athletic boosters, and the community itself.
We’ve had tremendous support, and exciting things are happening.” Dean of Students and football coach at Madison for four years, Sean Conway is training the Rams this year with an important mindset: That their work as a team in previous years has excited the community enough to help pave the way for the future.
“The athletic boosters are as supportive a group as you could ever hope to work with, and work for,” Conway said. “It’s really amazing to see what they’ve done for the kids at Madison, and the athletic facilities that they have provided. I think our facilities, everything from our new gymnasium that’s going in, our baseball and softball complexes, our soccer complex; I don’t know any other school that has facilities like Madison will have once the new track and turf will go in.”
