It might be… It could be… It almost is

In football terms, Aurora Christian had just seconds remaining on the clock. To pull this one out, they needed a Hail Mary pass.

So the school huddled with its extended family of parents, friends and alumni. Go deep, they told each other, and collectively, we'll give it our best. Because this is, after all, a team effort.

That was approximately four weeks ago, but it's felt more like a two-minute drill. That's because AC -- which is seeking to raise $1 million to fund the building a long-desired football stadium -- has been in a race against the calendar to reach that formidable mark by March 1.

It's been a scramble. But thanks to the remarkable generosity of the many, many contributors who've reached into their pockets, AC looks like it's going to complete this game-winner. A triumphant highlight for the ages -- all ages -- indeed.

The dream became a realistic possibility in late January, when an anonymous donor pledged to match $500,000 in funds -- dollar for dollar. But it was contingent upon the school raising the other $500,000 by March 1 -- with few weeks of wiggle room, if needed.

As of Thursday, the school had reached $943,000 in donations, according to organizer Patrick Bennett. With the summit it sight, the AC community is excitedly optimistic that history is about to happen.

"We're hoping to start moving dirt in March," Bennett said with great anticipation.

That would initiate Phase I, involving ground work to transform the current site just east of the school at 2255 Sullivan Road from a field of gopher holes and rocks. It would include the installation of FieldTurf and an eight-lane, rubberized track surface, giving the Eagles a place to call home for the 2008 football season next fall.

Phase II, which would require another $1 million fund drive, would outfit the stadium with all the modern amenities -- bleachers, press box, lights, locker rooms and concession areas.

The school's Web site says "a Miracle is Happening at ACS," likening this project to a Field of Dreams.

Or, in one young student's case, a Field for All Ages.

The anonymous six-year old boy literally broke the bank to contribute. With a piggy bank full of mostly coins, he requested his parents unlock it. Together, they spent nearly an hour counting his life savings -- $95.17 -- which he promptly donated, before looking between the sofa cushions for more loose change.

"I know we're going to make it now!" he proclaimed.

That's the type of shared spirit and enthusiastic generosity which have made this a success story. That young boy can forever say he had a helping hand in creating a stadium that will benefit generations of young learners, students and athletes.

"It doesn't matter if it's $5 or $5,000," Bennett said. "What we've tried to do is get everybody in our community -- and their friends -- involved and make them feel a part of this. We want them to understand it's by the Lord moving our hearts. No arm-twisting; we only ask people give of their excess, not out of their debt.

"We've had donors up to $50,000. All the same, if a child donates a dollar from their allowance, they own a part of what we're trying to do."

The latest chapter in AC's growth is a long way from the humble beginning when Don Davidson began the school's athletic program in the 1970s. First came the move to the modern campus on Sullivan and its impeccable gymnasium, an enormous upgrade over the beloved-but-cramped, tin-sided cracker box of a warehouse on Illinois Avenue where the Eagles were so dominant in the 80s and 90s.

Now they are thisclose to having the football stadium equivalent to their state-of-the-art gym. Bennett is hoping that once Phase I begins and the community witnesses the progress being made, fund-raising will start to include donations from big business, along with corporate sponsorships and advertising.

"Once the business community sees that we're following through, we're hoping they'll be inclined to jump on board," Bennett said.

And it will all be done on a pay-as-they-go basis. Too bad Bennett and Co. aren't running the federal government.

"We want to do this debt-free, without putting any future financial burden on the school or our parents," Bennett said. "That's why we're raising the money first."

It's not just monetary donations that AC is thankful for, either. It's being part of such a giving community. Since its football program began play in 1998, the Eagles have been a permanent road team, reliant upon area schools for their "home" games.

"The generosity in Aurora has been phenomenal," Bennett said. "From Mooseheart to East Aurora to West Aurora to Marmion to Aurora Central -- all these schools have come alongside of us and been so generous in allowing us to use their facilities. It's been amazing how this community has joined together and helped us out. It's a compliment to all the schools in the area."

Soon, AC will be able to give back to the community in ways it could only dream about until recently.

"This stadium is about much more than football and track," Bennett said. "We're in the business of bringing up kids the right way. That's our mission. That's why we're here and that's why we're trying to raise the money.

"It's a blessing to be able to do this. And the stadium is going to be awesome."

In many ways, it already is.