Kickoff starts Barrington High School stadium work

Amid a snow-covered football field, work officially got under way Wednesday on Barrington High School's new athletic stadium.

With school board members, Barrington Area Unit District 220 Superintendent Tom Leonard, Barrington Mayor Karen Darch and other dignitaries on hand, the first piles of dirt were shoveled away in a groundbreaking ceremony.

"This is a fantastic day," Leonard said. "It really has been a community effort."

The event also gave the Friends of the Stadium Club the chance to announce it's secured three major donors to help pay for extra amenities for the stadium.

Wickstrom Ford, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and the Wiseman family donated a combined $475,000. For 10 years, their names will be listed on signs within the new stadium indicating their support.

The Friends club has been raising private funds since last spring to get synthetic turf, permanent restrooms and an electronic scoreboard added to the project.

So far, the group has raised $775,000 of its $1 million goal. Other donors include Barrington Youth Football, BHS Quarterback Club, the Lake Barrington Field House, Sage Products, Barrington Area Soccer Association, the Kevin Conway Fund, BHS Boys Lacrosse Club, BHS Boys Soccer Boosters, the BHS PTO and the Barrington Middle School Prairie Campus PTO.

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these people who have been so generous," said school board member Jeff Church.

Board President Brian Battle said the Friends deserve praise for their tireless efforts.

"They are a credit to the entire District 220 community," Battle said.

As a longtime community member, Richard Wickstrom from Wickstrom Ford said his family was excited about the opportunity to get involved.

"The community has done so much for us," he said. "This was a way for us to give back."

Barrington's Troy Wiseman said the staff at the high school made amazing strides with one of his sons who was going through a difficult period during his years there.

Wiseman said he credits the school for helping turn his son's life around.

"It was a way for us to say thank you," Wiseman said.

Last April, voters agreed to spend $4.4 million to rebuild the stadium, which had a torn-up track, a dirt infield and stands that were old and not up to Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.

The new stadium will include an eight-lane track and a larger field surface for soccer and lacrosse play. New bleachers will have 2,500 seats for home fans and 1,500 for the visitors.

To keep the price down for taxpayers, the board decided some of the more elaborate items, like the synthetic turf, restrooms and scoreboard, would need to be paid for with private donations.

While still trying to raise another $250,000, Jon Stickney, a founder of the Friends of the Stadium Club, said he is thrilled to have made it this far.

"It is a relief to know we have gotten to this point," he said. "I am really proud of the community."

Since the stadium has been supported by the entire community, Leonard said it's only fitting that the name outside the new complex reflect that.

"We made a conscious decision to call this Barrington Community Stadium," Leonard said.

The first order of business for construction is to take down the bleachers. That'll start immediately, with the bulk of the work taking place in the spring and summer.

The goal is to have the stadium open in time for the start of next year's football season.