The Centralia Rotary Club reached a long-time goal when they turned on the lights to the first field at Rotary Park at sunset Wednesday evening.
The lights go on Wednesday night at the first lighted field at Rotary Park in Centralia. Photo by Pat Hodges.
Police Chief Greg Dodson spoke on behalf of the Rotary Club.
“This has been from the beginning a community effort. This happened because of community support and a lot of hard work from volunteers. This started in 2009, really got traction in 2011, and it was completed tonight. The Rotary Park is the keystone of the Rotary Club. The first pitch of the club was thrown out on July 19, 1996.”
Members of the Centralia Rotary Club gather for the ceremony Wednesday night to turn on the lights. Photo by Pat Hodges.
Dodson says there is still a lot of work to do.
“This is the very first step in the lighting of the park. We hope to start with one field tonight and move on in the future and continue to light the rest of the fields.”
Poles and power for all four fields have been placed so they can be lit as more money is raised.
The Rotary Club would like to light all four fields to allow tournaments and late-night little league games. The dedication of the lights on the field is in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Centralia Rotary Club.
Dodson says many businesses have sponsored signs on the fields and the community has generously donated money through special fundraising events and personal donations throughout the years to make the project a reality.
If your company is interested in purchasing a sign on the fields, please contact Jay Luse at 618-918-1104 or DJ Justice at 618-322-8214. You may also mail donations to the Rotary Club 615 Briarwood Centralia, Illinois 62801. They thank everyone for their support.
