Help wanted: School officials ask public to help with Madison stadium clean up

Officials with the rural Butler County school system are urging residents, school staffers and students in Madison Twp. to lend help with renovating its stadium, which also serves as a community rallying point.

A.J. Huff, spokeswoman for the Madison Schools, said the district is asking the public to come out to the district’s school campus — at 5797 West Alexandria Road — for a few hours of volunteer work on July 10 from 5 to 8 p.m.

“We’re going to have a stadium cleanup evening. We’ll clean up trash, paint the press box, hang windscreen, paint ticket booth, edge grass, weeds the flower beds and repaint poles and tomahawks on stairs,” said Huff.

“We need all fall athletes — high school and junior high football, boys and girls soccer and cheerleaders — community members,” she said, adding that participants bring ladders, paint brushes, paint sprayers, power washers and helping hands.

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The event is also part of the on-going Madison Field Turf Project, a private fundraising effort to raise money for replacing the Madison Stadium’s natural grass playing field with artificial turf.

Madison is one of only three — along with Ross and New Miami — school systems in the county to still be playing team sports on grass.

More than a dozen years ago, artificial turf playing fields began showing up at southwest Ohio high schools due to enhanced affordability, though they are still pricey, ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million.

Some local schools, such as Hamilton High School, are already on their second generation of plastic turf fields, which last about a decade.

Last season’s historic, state playoff run by the Madison Mohawk football team helped focus the community’s attention on the need for a modern athletic field.

Matt Morrison, athletic director of Madison Schools, said “as we look forward to the fall athletic season, we’re excited to bring our community together to help make our facilities look the best possible. This stadium clean-up day will allow our athletes, parents and community members to have a hand in taking care of the facilities.”