Published Friday, Oct. 24, 1997
BACK TO HERALD...
Wilmington is hoping for financial boon from game
By Pam Mansell
Herald Writer
Traveling to Youngstown State University for the Wilmington-Sharon football game that was supposed to be played on Wilmington's field may be an inconvenience for Wilmington fans, but it could be a financial boon to the athletic fund.
At Monday's board meeting, school directors approved plans to allocate to the district's A-1 athletic fund any revenue in excess of what would normally be received. Superintendent Dr. C. Leon Ahlum told the board that rough estimates indicated that about $9,370 would be netted if the game were being played at home. That figure is based on 4,000 people attending the game at $2.50 per person.
About 9,000 people are expected to attend the game at YSU. After expenses, the estimated revenue is $19,585.
If those estimates prove to be close to accurate, the athletic fund will gain over $10,000 _ money that will be used to improve Wilmington's football field. (The attendance estimates may be high, however, since the announcement that both Sharon and Wilmington will make the playoffs, reducing importance of the game.)
Ahlum said the first priority for the money would be to get a water source, probably a well, for the field. ``We bring in more dirt and we re-seed the field every year,'' he said, ``and if we have a good wet summer we're fine. But if we have a dry summer, like we do every other year, the field's in bad shape.''
This year, everyone in the district agrees, was one of the bad years.
School directors will get an interim financial report after all game expenses have been paid and a final report after the expected field improvements have been paid for.
