Raffle to benefit track refurbishing project

by Ben Dicksion

Raffle tickets will go on sale shortly to raise funds to refurbish the surface of the track at the Orofino High School athletic field.

Fund raising effort was announced Wednesday evening by Monica Jones at a citizens' meeting at the Ponderosa Restaurant held to discuss different ways of financing a new track surface.

Tickets will be sold by students, civic groups and local businesses for $20 apiece. Multiple winners will have their choice of five days/four nights in Las Vegas, with a choice among five different shows. Or winners can choose a five day/four4 night stay in Seattle, with tickets to the Museum of Flight, the Space Needle and the zoo.

Prizes will consist of accommodations and event admissions only, Jones said, and will not include transportation or meals.

The condition of the track is rapidly becoming critical, according to OHS coach Keith Stuffel, who was present at the meeting.

"I'm not certain," he told the assembled group, "but I think the current surface was laid down in 1996. It was warranteed to last three years and it is about to go into its tenth year of service."

He said the new surface the group is seeking would be a three-layer hard-rubber surface, as compared to the one-layer surface currently in use. Such a new surface should be in excellent condition for at least 8-10 years and may well last much longer.

He projected the total cost of the installation to be in the $30,000 range.

Raffle ticket sales could account for a substantial portion of that sum, but other funding is available from a variety of sources, including a potential grant from the athletic sponsor, Nike Corp.