With this field, the local community has come together to celebrate the life of former Ainsworth Elementary School student, Julia Reimann. On August 4th, 2008, 10-year-old Julia and her two cousins died when a single-engine plane crashed into the Gearhart, Oregon house their families were vacationing in.
A few salient facts:
· Ainsworth has not had a blade of grass for over 40 years.
· In under a year, the community raised over $350,000 in cash and in-kind contributions from some 250-300 donors for the field project.
· The field is 100′ by 130′ with 13,000 SF of turf.
· The field is the first of its kind utilizing Nike Grind (see details in linked document).
· Portland’s city bureaus (e.g. Development Services, Water, Environmental Services) have been extremely helpful in expediting the field by waiving fees and supporting the aggressive timeline.
· The building permit was granted in April 2009.
· As part of the project, the entire adjacent non-field area has been resurfaced with a fresh coat of blacktop and new striping.
· The logo in the center of the field was originally designed by Julia’s soccer team as a patch players wore for the 2008-2009 soccer season. It features the number 45 – her soccer jersey number – and a red star, which is from a sweatshirt she wore to every practice.
· The hard work, dedication and donations supplied by Robinson Construction and CARDNO-WRG were critical for completing the project.