Adams Lions Club Donates $7,750 for Russell Field
ADAMS, Mass. — The town has accepted a $7,750 donation from the Adams Lions Club to fund the scoreboard and lighting repairs at Russell Field.
Members of the Board of Selectmen, Parks Commission and Community Development gathered at Russell Field on Friday to accept the donation. Town Administrator Jay Green said this work would not have been possible without the Lions Club's financial help.
"We've worked hard to keep these facilities in great shape and modernizing them. And sometimes costs certainly gets in our way ... That's why these partnerships and collaborations are very important. These are public facilities, and we're grateful to the Lions Club for their willingness to step in and help us out with it," Green said.
Lions Club President Art McConnell said he is happy that the club could help the town with Russell Field. He said the group tries to help the community when and where it is able to.
"I appreciate that you reached out to us. I know there's going to be projects in the future, and we're going to love to be able to help out where we can," McConnell said. "A project like this for the kids; that's one of our priorities ... My goal this year was to raise $13,000 and we exceeded that. So we were able to help other places beyond what we were expected to pay this year."
Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin said work on Russell Field, which began in 2017, predates his employment in Adams. Renovations have been ongoing for several years, with the town receiving nearly $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for field renovations.
"This allowed the town to regrade the field entirely, install new drainage, new fences, a new infield, layout electrical conduits all the lights, build new tennis courts, put in an adult fitness area and install new ADA accessible paths throughout," he said. "Because of the generous donation from the Adams Lions Club, we were able to install the new scoreboard and repair and replace light bulbs in the field lights to allow for night games."
Selectmen Chair John Duval thanked the Lions Club, the Parks Commission and town employees for everything they have done to get the field renovated.
"We were fortunate to be able to have some good people that could come together as a team, as we always have in Adams, to complete this wonderful project," he said.
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