ALRO STEEL FOUNDATION DONATES $1.5 MILLION TO MEIJER SPORTS COMPLEX EXPANSION FOR NAMING RIGHTS OF CHAMPIONSHIP SOFTBALL FIELD, BRINGING CAMPAIGN TO $8.7 MILLION
Fundraising Campaign Reaches 77 Percent of Goal with Donation from Alro Steel and Federal Grant from Congresswoman Scholten's Community Project Fund; Turf Grass Installation also Complete
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 13, 2024 – The West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC)’s Meijer Sports Complex improvement/expansion campaign got a major boost with a $1.5 million donation from Alro Steel Foundation and $750,000 in federal grant funds from Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, raising the fundraising total to $8.7 million – or 77 percent of its $11.4 million goal. Alro Steel’s donation also ensures the naming rights of the complex’s new championship softball field.
"We are thrilled to honor my father Al Glick’s legacy by naming the championship softball field at the Meijer Sports Complex after the company he founded, Alro Steel,” said Randy Glick, CEO of Alro Steel. “He was a passionate believer in the power of youth sports to teach valuable life lessons and develop strong teamwork skills. We are proud to partner with the West Michigan Sports Commission in providing a place for future generations of young athletes to have a beautiful and inspiring place to play and grow."
Alro Steel Foundation donated $1.5 million specifically to the complex’s new championship softball field, which will be named Alro Steel Championship Field. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03) secured $750,000 in funding for the sports complex through the Fiscal Year 2024 Community Project Funding requests as one of 15 community projects across West Michigan receiving federal grant money.
"Nothing brings a community together like sports,” said Congresswoman Hillary Scholten. “As the mom of two young athletes in West Michigan, I see how sports open doors for kids of all ages and connect our communities. I am so proud to have secured $750,000 to expand the Meijer Sports Complex. This private-public partnership will give our neighbors a place to gather, promote physical and mental health in our youth, spur our economy, and put West Michigan on the map to host athletic events in the years to come.”
The WMSC launched the $11.4 million A Winning Streak for West Michigan capital campaign in October 2022 to improve and expand its flagship Meijer Sports Complex that it opened in 2014 with eight baseball and softball fields, a championship baseball field and Nate Hurwitz Miracle League Field. Costing $7.5 million and funded through private donations, the complex has cumulatively attracted 208 events, 8,200 teams and 265,750 visitors, for a total economic impact for Kent County of $60 million in direct visitor spending since it opened.
“This expansion project is a true public and private collaboration to improve West Michigan, as evidenced by these substantial gifts from Alro Steel Foundation and Rep. Scholten,” said WMSC President Mike Guswiler. “We are so grateful for their generous donations that bring our fundraising goal closer to the finish line. We hope others will follow their example and join the ‘winning streak’ for West Michigan as we expand the Meijer Sports Complex to benefit the region from an economic, health and wellness standpoint.”
Meijer Sports Complex Expansion Progress
While fundraising continues throughout 2024, the WMSC has begun improvement projects in the scope of work to take advantage of warm weather and construction costs. The first project completed this spring was the installation of synthetic turf on the championship baseball field, which will extend the playing season. The field also was recently renamed the DeVos Family Championship Field from its prior name, the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation Championship Field, after the foundation announced last month that it will sunset its work. The next improvement project begins in June with the resurfacing of the Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field this summer, which will extend this important field for athletes with disabilities for another 10 years. New construction begins in the fall starting with the Alro Steel Championship Field, specifically geared for women’s fast-pitch softball, among other new key infrastructure.
“In just eight years, the Meijer Sports Complex has proven that there is a critical need in West Michigan for additional sports infrastructure for sports like baseball and softball, and the complex expansion allows us to broaden that reach to even more teams and players by offering more gender parity through softball fields, as well as welcoming athletes from other sports like pickleball,” said Guswiler.”
Using acreage south of the complex, the expanded complex is estimated to accommodate 200 more teams annually and generate an additional $1 million in annual visitor spending. The renovation and expansion includes:
COMPLETED - Synthetic turf installed on existing Championship baseball field
STARTING THIS SUMMER - Resurfacing of Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field
STARTING THIS FALL - Alro Steel Championship Field for youth, amateur and collegiate softball – featuring synthetic turf, grandstands, lighting, covered dugouts and a press box
Three flexible-use diamond fields for youth and amateur baseball and softball as well as collegiate softball, with covered dugouts and bleachers
20 pickleball courts, including a championship court
New concession building, new restroom facility, and expanded storage facility
New playground area
Canopies over all bleacher seating
300 additional parking spaces
The Winning Streak capital campaign kicked off in October 2022 and continues through 2024. More information can be found at westmisports.com/winningstreak.
About the West Michigan Sports Commission
The non-profit West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) identifies, secures and hosts youth and amateur sporting events to positively impact the economy and quality of life in the region. Since its inception in 2007, the WMSC has booked 1,216 events attracting more than 2.1 million athletes and visitors, generating over $649 million in direct visitor spending. Visit westmisports.com, Facebook.com/WestMichiganSportsCommission and @westmisports on Twitter and Instagram.
About the Meijer Sports Complex
A flagship project of the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Meijer Sports Complex is a championship-caliber baseball/softball complex near Rockford featuring eight baseball and softball fields, including the 385-foot fenced DeVos Family Championship Field with covered grandstands to seat 1,000 spectators; Nate Hurwitz Miracle League Field for children with disabilities; warm-up areas, restrooms, concessions and maintenance building; and parking for more than 400 vehicles. Since opening in 2015, the complex has attracted 208 events, 8,200 teams and 265,750 visitors for a total economic impact for Kent County of $60 million in direct visitor spending. Visit meijersportscomplex.com.
About Alro Steel
Alro Steel was founded in 1948 by brothers Al and Robert Glick in Jackson, Michigan. The company is a distributor of metals and performance plastics. Alro is focused on offering cut-to size metals and plastics with next-day delivery to over 50,000 customers in North America. Alro operates over 80 locations in 16 states and provides a broad inventory of products under the following companies: Alro Steel, Alro Metals, Alro Metals Outlet, and Alro Plastics. Alro news: alro.com/news