The Kenai Central High School Administration is asking for the public’s help on a big project at Ed Hollier Field. The field has been without restroom facilities for spectators since the school opened in the early 1960s. The lack of permanent restroom facilities has forced user groups to rent and use porta-potties to facilitate this need, which can cost upwards of $6,000 per season. KCHS on their social media page says that the Kenai community deserves a facility that they will be proud of when hosting home events.
On a given spring day, KCHS says that it’s not unusual for over two hundred high school and middle school athletes using the field. There are fourteen programs between Kenai Central High School and Kenai Middle School that utilize the track and field for various purposes. Some of those programs include:
- KCHS boys and girls cross-country running
- KCHS football
- KCHS and KMS drum-line and marching band
- KCHS football cheer
- KCHS boys and girls soccer
- KCHS boys and girls track
- KMS cross-country running
- KMS boys and girls soccer
- KMS boys and girls track
- KCHS and KMS physical education classes
Currently, there is no running water or plumbed bathrooms for the student athletes. Also, there are thousands of spectators, parents, and community members who also use the KCHS track and field. In addition, numerous local and community groups like Pop Warner and Kenai Peninsula Soccer Club use the facility.
There is a concept to have two bathrooms, concessions, and storage housed in the same facility, but the estimated cost is $250,000. The goal is to raise that money to pay for the materials and equipment needed for the project. The school district has reportedly already created a financial account that could have matching funds attached to that as well.
The project has the potential to facilitate an academic goal as well. Students have already contributed to finalizing the design of the building in their computer-aided drafting class in hopes of involving the construction students with building it based on the blueprints developed. This will give our kids the opportunity to develop real-world hands-on skills as well as instill a sense of pride that “they built that.”
KCHS says that they are accepting cash or checks at the school, but that they are in the process of working on an online donation option.
