KENNEBUNK, Maine — A generous donation from a local foundation has put RSU 21 over the top in its fundraising efforts for the construction of the new athletic complex at Kennebunk High School.

Fresh from its annual whiffle ball competition on July 30, The Tommy McNamara Charitable Foundation (TMCF) recently announced that it is donating $75,000 to the project – an amount that has helped the school district’s Capital Campaign Committee meet its fundraising goal of $250,000.

Deb Dutton, a member of the committee, said the foundation’s contribution once again demonstrates its commitment to “enhancing youth sports and recreation in our community.”

“Their leadership gift to the athletic complex is emblematic of their powerful mission,” Dutton said earlier this week. “We are incredibly grateful for their partnership and support, putting us over our goal of $250,000.”

On Monday, Tom McNamara, the foundation’s founder and president, said he and his organization are “really excited” to be a part of the project to build the new complex at the high school.

“There’s a huge need for field upgrades in this town, and I’m happy to be a small part of the effort,” he said.

McNamara and his wife, Annie, started the foundation nine years ago to pay tribute to their son, Tommy, who died in 2012 at the age of 25. The organization’s mission is to “raise funds to develop and maintain quality recreational and sports facilities for the enjoyment of the youth of the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport community,” according to its website. The annual whiffle ball tournament – played each summer at the park in Lower Village – is the organization’s signature event. Sports and recreation were Tommy’s passion, his father said.

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This latest donation makes approximately $600,000 that the foundation has contributed to the community since its inception, according to McNamara, who expressed gratitude to local donors, merchants and sponsors who have contributed to fundraising efforts over the years.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” McNamara said.

The school district broke ground on the new athletic complex in June. The district has a construction timeline and other project details on its website.

RSU 21 School Board Chair Art LeBlanc said he and RSU 21 Operations Director Richard Terwilliger recently toured the site.

“We are pleased to say that the construction is on schedule,” LeBlanc said.

The athletic field had been in disrepair for years, needing a new track and new bleachers, lights and more. The company that the district hired for the project – Heimlich Landscape and Construction, of Woburn, Massachusetts – is in its eighth week of work.

“Heimlich Landscape and Construction is making short work of this project,” Terwilliger said.

The company has removed the field’s 60-year-old bleachers and its press box and damaged track, according to Terwilliger. Crews also have removed old sod from the football field as well as old lights and drainage that were no longer usable. As well, they have removed some trees to make room for the complex’s expansion.

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Such efforts are helping to “make way” for a new six-lane track and eight sprint lanes and a right-size artificial field that can accommodate all school sports programs. They also make way for the new bleachers, press box and LED lights, according to Terwilliger.

Drainage work continues, Terwilliger added, and efforts to remove tree stumps and other debris do too. Existing loam also is being screened to be used on the complex’s new practice field. As well, crews are currently running electricity and digging footers for new light poles.

Classes will not be the only thing that begins in September – according to Terwilliger, that’s when the installation of the new artificial field will start too.

“The RSU 21 facilities team is fully engaged in a project that was long overdue,” Terwilliger said. “This athletic complex will be a great place for all our students, our community and all visitors to enjoy.”

The school board was first introduced with the concept of the new athletic complex in 2020, but the efforts to address safety and other concerns at the site began years earlier. In 2015, for instance, the district put $250,000 into its capital reserve to renovate the track – a sum that voters approved for use earlier this year.

The total cost of the project is estimated at a little more than $4.3 million, with 10% contingency funding included. The contingency – built into the budget approved in part in May – has been put in place to cover a cost overrun, should one occur, according to LeBlanc.

The funding for the project includes $2.8 million from the district’s unallocated fund balance. In October 2020, the board committed $1.25 million of the district’s remaining construction funds to the project.

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As for the fundraising aspect, the Capital Campaign Committee had raised about $170,000, as of June, LeBlanc reported at the time. This week, LeBlanc and fellow School Board member Erin Nedeau both expressed appreciation for The Tommy McNamara Charitable Foundation for the contribution that helped put the committee across its fundraising finish line.

Nedeau called the foundation’s donation “generous” and noted the organization’s deep roots in the Kennebunks and its commitment to supporting athletics and facilities in the community.

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LeBlanc spoke to the contributions of both the foundation and so many others that helped RSU 21 reach its fundraising goal for the project.

“This incredibly generous gift joins others who have helped to make this facility become a reality,” LeBlanc said.

Construction of a new athletic complex was not an option, as the one in place for years had deteriorated and could no longer serve as host for track meets and other athletic events, “even some home playoff games,” LeBlanc added.

“With the support of TMCF and the entire community, we look forward to celebrating the completion of an athletic complex that provides facilities for all field sports with seating that is accessible to everyone,” LeBlanc said.

The district is aiming to complete the complex, new track and all, by the spring of 2023.