A welcoming sign into Ridgetown. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)A welcoming sign into Ridgetown. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Chatham

Ridgetown Seeks Funds For Sports Field

Chatham-Kent Council is preparing to give $75,000 to Ridgetown District High School for a new sports field.

It's part of a larger fundraiser put on by the Ridgetown Rotary Club, with the end goal of bringing in $300,000. The initiative has already been sponsored by groups like South Kent Wind, Engridge,Optimists of Ridgetown and the LKDSB.

East Kent Councillor Dave Van Damme says the growing track and field team in Ridgetown deserves ideal facilities.

"We had a girl last year who placed fourth in all of Ontario for javelin," he says. "The students and the faculty are doing amazing things to really make a difference in outdoor track sports."

Staff and Ridgetown reps will make a presentation next month regarding the impact of the field.

Van Damme says, although other fields have been approved in the past, he wants to go through proper channels.

"I'd rather take the long way round to be sure council has a good understanding of what this is going to look like," he says.

About $160,000 has already been spent on the field to level it, and add bleachers.

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