Geneva rolled out the green carpet for this year′s Penn-Ohio high school football all-star game on June 29. It was the first time for the new artificial turf at Reeve′s Field to be officially used, so a special ceremony was held to mark the occasion.
Geneva President Dr. Ken Smith, along with Beaver Falls superintendent Dr. Donna Nugent, addressed the crowd and acknowledged those who had a hand in helping to finalize the first phase of Geneva′s stadium renovation project. Following the acknowledgements, Ken Smith gave a brief prayer of thanks and dedication.
Smith, Nugent and representatives from the City of Beaver Falls, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pro Turf, and Geneva and Beaver Falls High School football teams held a gold ribbon across the 50-yard line of the field. When the school mascots Turbo the Tornado and the Beaver Falls Tiger officially ran through the ribbon to break it in front of the packed, cheering stadium, the new turf was officially ready for use.
The stadium renovation project, which also included new visitor bleachers this year, is far from over. Reeves Stadium will continue its overhaul after the 2007 football season with new home stands, new restrooms, new concession stands and a new press box. The complete renovation project is to be completed prior to the kickoff of the 2008 season.
Geneva′s football team will have to wait until mid-September to play its first game on the new surface. The Golden Tornadoes open the 2007 campaign with three straight road games before returning to Reeves Stadium for a date with Bethany College on September 22nd.
The new synthetic turf field was made possible, in part, by a $200,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the National Football League Players Association and the NFL′s Grassroots program. The Grassroots program is a partnership between the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Cooperation (LISC), the nation′s leading community development support organization.
