SCSDB Athletes Celebrating Plans for a New Field House

SPARTANBURG, SC – Whoo-hoo! The athletes at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind have something to celebrate! Thanks to the contributions of eight businesses and organizations, the athletes will soon have a field house on their athletic field. The school has competed in sports for more than 100 years, but a field house was only a dream until now.

Athletes representing eight sports will join the donors for a groundbreaking ceremony on the site February 9 at 10:30 a.m. The new 1,702 square-foot facility will include locker rooms for home and visitor teams as well as fully accessible restrooms for fans attending athletic competitions and students participating in physical education classes and after-school recreation programs.

Upon learning of the need for a field house three years ago, the school’s fundraising arm, The Walker Foundation, stepped forward to generate support for the $300,000 project. The Flour Corporation took the lead in meeting the need by supplying $102,000 in funds raised through its annual Golf for Greenville. Fluor is the project’s major donor, and the facility will be named the Fluor Field House in honor of the organization’s leadership role.

“On behalf of the more than 100 employee volunteers who make Fluor’s Golf for Greenville a reality, we are proud to support The Walker Foundation in the building of the Fluor Field House.  We look forward to its completion knowing we had a part in making a difference for the school and the students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind,” said Bob Novak, executive director for Fluor’s Golf for Greenville and executive director of procurement for Fluor’s Greenville, SC office.

The Walker Foundation also worked with multiple Spartanburg organizations to make the project a reality. JM Smith Corporation, Spartanburg County, and Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma jointly provided the additional funds needed to complete the project along with the F.W. Symmes Foundation of Greenville. Collins & Lacy Attorneys at Law and Kohler Co. as well as Cherokee Masonry, Inc. have pledged gifts of in-kind services and materials. The school will fund accessible sidewalks and exterior plumbing.

The Walker Foundation’s Donors to the Field House at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Lead Donor:

• Fluor’s Golf for Greenville
• JM Smith Foundation
• Spartanburg County
• Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma Club
• F.W. Symmes Foundation
• Kohler Co.
• Cherokee Masonry Inc.
• Collins & Lacy Attorneys at Law

“This project demonstrates the value of teamwork,” said Ann Akerman, chief executive officer of The Walker Foundation. “What better way to show our athletes how working together can make dreams come true.”

Spartanburg County was able to use a Community Development Block Grant for the project because the athletic field is used by many community organizations. Organizations that use the school’s track and athletic field on a regular basis include Special Olympics, Spartanburg Methodist College, USC Upstate, Spartanburg Christian Academy, and Carolina Home School. Various other organizations use the facilities for one-time special events.

Athletes from the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind compete in eight sports including football, track, Special Olympics, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, and goalball, a sport designed for athletes who are blind. Many of the sports are supported by the school’s cheerleading team.

Founded in 1979 for the sole purpose of working directly with the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, The Walker Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to securing resources that enable the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind to achieve its mission and goals. For more information, please visit www.walkerfdn.org or call (864) 577-7582.

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is the state’s only specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. It offers pre K-12 educational programs on its main campus in Spartanburg and specialized vision and hearing services in school districts and homes throughout the state. For more information, go to www.scsdb.org or call the school’s toll-free number at 1-888-447-2732.