LEWISTON — Since fundraising began two years ago, Lewiston businesses, organizations and individuals have given more than $1 million to improve sports fields at Lewiston High School, the Franklin Pasture Sports Complex.

Donations have been given through in-kind gifts, selling the name of the baseball field to honor a former superintendent, “buy-a-brick” donations and different levels of sponsorship.

“I want to publicly thank the community,”

told the School Committee recently. “We’ve had great support from the community.”

Some donations have been large, some small. But they’ve come in.

“It’s been great to see,” Fuller said. “Hopefully we can make the next push, we can get that $288,000 to start the turf and track. I cannot stress how important the turf is for this community.”

A long-range goal is to raise $3.4 million, plus another $1.5 million as a future maintenance endowment, to improve fields and expand their use. Great demand and lack of drainage often make fields unsafe for play at times.

The immediate focus is getting artificial turf at the Don Roux football and soccer field for about $750,000, and rebuilding the track for about $350,000. The Franklin Pasture Sports Complex Fundraising Campaign is $288,000 shy to get that work done.

“We’re still in negotiations with one of the lead sponsors, said Heather Hunter, campaign treasurer who’s also the finance director for the city of Lewiston. The campaign can’t unveil the lead sponsor.

“It’s still in the works. But we haven’t lost hope. We hope to close that gap on the artificial turf and track surface,” she said.

That’s good, Fuller said, because the track won’t last much longer. “It’s almost unusable at this point.”

The first wave of improvements will also revamp concession stands and restrooms. “It’s not everything we want to do at the main complex, but it’s the first initial priority the group has outlined,” Hunter said.

Meanwhile, improvements are already underway, Fuller said.

“We’ve made changes to the complex,” he said. “A new scoreboard, irrigation in the Joseph Deschenes baseball field. We have an improved seating area at the baseball field, another place for more viewing. We also have a sound system going in this week for the football and soccer field. It will be an improved sound system better for fans.” Music and announcements will be clearer, not muffled, Fuller said.

None of the above would not have happened without the fundraising. “We are making progress,” he said.

This fall, Lewiston Regional Technical Center students will work with a local contractor and build a new press box.

To improve and resurface the tennis courts, so far $40,000 of the $78,000 has been raised. To rebuild the baseball field, $252,000 is needed; so far $200,000 has been raised. “We are well on our way,” Hunter said.

Fuller said Lewiston is on the cutting edge of fundraising for sports.

“I’ve received telephone calls from California, Colorado, Indiana,” he said. He’s been asked to speak at the Southern Maine Community College and has spoken at various schools. This style of community fundraising, selling the names of fields and signs is growing, he said.

School Committee members Linda Scott and Jim Handy thanked Hunter and Fuller for their work.

“You’ve done a fantastic job,” Scott said. “I look forward to seeing a new track.”

On Monday, Fuller said the trustees are exploring how to get donations online that would allow one-time, smaller donations.

“We have a lot of sponsorship levels, but nothing on a small scale,” Fuller said. An online campaign may be a way for Lewiston High alumni who can’t buy a $500 brick or sign to help.

Those details will be released in an online fundraising mechanism, Fuller said.

Hunter pointed out there’s a number of other nonprofit endeavors happening, including a park at the former Pettingill Elementary School and rebuilding the historic Kennedy Park bandstand.

“Each is getting closer to the finish line,” she said. “That’s a big credit to this community.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com