Carson City's American Youth Soccer Organization has donated $20,000 to the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department for improvements at Edmonds Sports Complex.
"It is with great pleasure and pride that we donate this money in the name of AYSO, its sponsors, coaches, players and parents," Carson City AYSO commissioner Carl Hasty said.
The $20,000 will be used to improve access and aesthetics at the north end of the soccer complex. The money is earmarked for constructing a multiuse pathway between the north sets of soccer fields as well as transplanting and adding trees along the pathway.
"The Carson City AYSO board of directors decided to fund this project to assist our fans with access to those north fields," Hasty said. "We have had many concerned comments from people about the difficult access for parents, grandparents and others who have wheelchairs, walkers or are similarly disabled. This was a great opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to our program.
"We provided additional funds for the addition of trees to provide shade and a wind break," Hasty said. "We never seem to have enough shade out there for the players in between games and the fans trying to get out of the hot sun."
"We have a great history with Carson City AYSO," said Scott Fahrenbruch, Carson City Parks and Recreation director of operations. "This donation is just part of what they have done in conjuction with the city.
"Two years ago, AYSO donated $15,000 towards the purchase of the canopies over the picnic tabgles throughout Edmonds Sports Complex."
"It is all part of the master plan for Edmonds Sports Complex," Fahrenbruch also said about the $20,000 donation. "We had originally designed the pathway to meander between the fields, but with further study we found that if the pathway meandered, we were going to have trouble with sprinklers and utility areas. Plus with the drainage swales at Edmonds, the straight path was better."
Fahrenbruch said the parks and recreation department is supplementing the AYSO donation to provide picnic tables along the new pathway.
"We are excited to complete this project," he said. "And with the trees and picnic tables, the new area will be very pleasing to the park users."
Hasty praised the parks and recreation department's efforts. "Without the hard work and dedicationj of people like Steve Kastens, Scott Fahrenbruch and their entire staff of engineers and maintenance crews, we would have the premiere soccer facility in Northern Nevada. We are pleased to be able to give back a little to the department that's done so much for us.
"Our board of directors had several meetings to discuss how we wanted to help Edmonds Sports Complex and were very appreciative of parks and rec for joining us and explaining the master plan and what still needed to be done."
Carson City AYSO is the Northern Nevada's largest youth sports organization. More than 1,200 youth participate in the non-competitive program.
The league will hold its first registration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3 at the Carson City Community Center.
"We are in full swing for the fall season right now," Hasty said. "The program continues to expand and offer more coaching and referee instruction as well as provide more services for a growing enrollment."
For more information, call Hasty, 882-AYSO.
