By Mary Owen
The Regis Track Project is just a few stripes away from completion.
“The striping will be completed when we get a break in the weather,” said Mike Bauer, school counselor and Regis Track Committee member.
“When finished, the trace will be used by the school and community for a variety of activities, including track meets for Regis and St. Mary, Relay for Life, Boy Scout activities, YMCA track, invitational meets and physical education classes.”
Fundraising for the 400-meter, eight-lane track, last updated in 1995, is also nearing an end, Bauer said.
“To date, almost $275,000 in cash and in-kind has been raised for the project, including $23,000 at this year’s auction,” Bauer said. “The $300,000 project has been funded through several grants, many in-kind donations from local construction companies, individual contributions, and a variety of fundraisers.
“Several foundations have contributed $76,000, including the Doris Wipper Foundation, the Schneider Charitable Foundation, the Gary Epping Foundation of the Oregon Community Foundation, the Burlingham Foundation, the St. Martin De Porres Trust, and the Regis Foundation,” Bauer added.
The Regis School Board has given the Regis Track Committee until the spring of 2013 to raise the remaining $25,000, Bauer said.
The 15-year-old track was rapidly deteriorating and needed upgrading with a quality surface and additional improvements when the Regis Track Committee was formed. The initial $46,000 was raised as the 2011 “Fund an Item” at the Regis Auction.
“It is important to note that the project could have been completed and fully funded if the school board had chosen a less costly alternative that would have given the school a track with a life of 10 years. Instead, the school board, being good stewards, opted for a finish that would cost an extra $50,000, but that would last an extra 10 years.”
Since the track is used by both the school and the community, Bauer believes the board made the right decision.
“We recently met with Atlas Benyon who installed the track,” Bauer said. “Atlas indicated that ‘Regis has a superior track due to the impressive paving job done by North Santiam Paving.’”
Regis Track Committee member Bill Lulay agreed.
“The surface is consistently up to thickness specifications because of the excellent paving job by NSP,” Lulay, a project manager for North Santiam Paving, shared with Bauer.
Bauer also credited the Oregon State Bridge Construction for significantly donating to the project.
“This is a project that demonstrates the generous nature of the people and organizations in the school and community,” he said. “The Regis track is indeed a community resource to be shared by all.”
The track serves Regis High and St. Mary Catholic schools as well as athletes training for other sports, Regis PE classes, annual community events such as the Stayton Area Relay for Life, Boy Scouts, YMCA and Special Olympics. Community walkers, joggers and athletes of all ages and abilities also use the track.
The Regis track has been “home” to such notables as Craig Gries, who took second in state in javelin as a senior, and Jaclyn Espinoza, an ’06 graduate who earned a scholarship to Notre Dame after making it to nationals all four years of high school, a first-time feat for any Regis track athlete.
