WHY IS A NEW FIELDHOUSE NEEDED?
The current gyms at St. John the Baptist Primary School, Our Lady of Peace Intermediate School and Columbus Catholic High/Middle School are in constant use for practices, games and tournaments. The elementary school gyms are not conducive to practices for high school teams but are often the only available courts. Likewise, they are too small for middle school tournaments but are often used due to a lack of alternatives. This has led to a much greater demand on our facilities to provide sufficient practice time for a larger number of teams.
With the limitations of our current space, student athletes, including those as young as 5th or 6th grade, are frequently practicing until 9:00 pm or later. This is a hardship even for high school students who can drive themselves at night. Many live out of town and are traveling in the dark, sometimes in difficult weather conditions. They then get home after a late practice and still have their schoolwork to complete.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE SPACE?
All students will benefit in some way from this new building. Music and drama are both impacted by the lack of availability of a rehearsal or performance space at reasonable times. This has significantly limited the ability of middle and high school students to fully participate in performance arts. The new fieldhouse will also add physical education space for the intermediate school.
Expanding our ability to host tournaments will also benefit the broader community. Traveling families generally stay overnight, eat out at restaurants and spend money in other ways, which all benefit the Marshfield community.
WHAT IS THE COST & HOW WILL IT BE FUNDED?
The total cost for building the athletic fieldhouse with all the amenities needed for now and the future is $10.5 million. We’ve already secured a generous in-kind donation to prepare the space for the new building. We will rely heavily on the generosity of our faithful donors, parishioners, alumni, community members, foundations and others to complete the project as soon as possible so that our Columbus kids--and the greater community--can benefit from the facility now.
HOW WILL CCS SUSTAIN THE SPACE LONG-TERM?
Our business plan includes a diverse mix of revenue to sustain our academic programs and facilities. In addition to our growing enrollment, we will host and coordinate events and seek support from generous individuals, businesses and foundations who share our passion for Catholic education.
To Make a Donation
Krisann (Altmann '91) Mauritz, Director of Giving and Events
mauritz.krisann@columbusdons.org
715-387-1177 ext. 3314.