Kaufman Complex Fundraising Push
A fundraising push from a local youth sports group won’t just help out hundreds of area kids and their families right now.
It may also provide Marquette with a big economic lift in years to come.
The Superiorland Soccer Association is trying to raise $40,000 more to build a new service pavilion at the Kaufman Sports Complex.
The city will own it.
If it’s built, the group thinks it’ll be able to host a summer tournament drawing in about 80 teams.
Such an event would mean a minimum of 2,000 people entering the area for a weekend, bringing an economic lift to local businesses.
The project costs $380,000, but they already have most of that.
Much of it came from the Marquette City Commission recently in the form of an interest-free $160,000 loan.
The Kaufman Foundation would match this last $40,000 that they’re trying to raise now.
SSA President John Sandy says the Marquette area is known across the Midwest for being very soccer-friendly, so he thinks a summer tournament would attract a lot of attention.
The group has until the end of the year to raise the $40,000.
More than 1600 area kids use the Sports Complex each year for soccer, baseball and BMX racing.