The kickoff fundraiser for the St. Joseph Youth Sports Foundation’s project to build a sports complex in St. Joseph Township has been announced. The foundation’s Nicole Schmidtt tells WSJM News they’re selling painted paw prints for people to display their Bear pride while raising funds.
“To show St. Joe pride around town, we are going to go and paint paw prints at the end of driveways or sidewalks or if you have a business, we can do it there, too,” Schmidtt said. “It’s basically just to show pride for our community and spread it around and also to raise funds for our sports park.”
Schmidtt says the youth sports complex the foundation is looking to build at Maiden Lane and Hollywood Road is needed to meet the demand for places for youth athletes to play.
“We’re looking to put baseball, softball, Rocket and flag football out there, along with a playground, splash pad, and walking trail.”
The complex has received initial approval from the St. Joseph Township Board of Trustees in the form of a special use permit. The township will still have to sign off on the final site plan, which is expected to be ready in a couple of month. After that, the foundation would still need individual permits for things like drainage and lights. The early estimate is the complex will cost around $5 million. You can buy a paw print online for $30, or two for $50. Just go to the Facebook page of the St. Joseph Youth Sports Foundation.
