The Seminole State College Educational Foundation will host a groundbreaking ceremony on campus for the Brian Crawford Memorial Sports Complex on Nov. 7 at the Utterback Ballroom located within the Enoch Kelly Haney Center at 2:30 p.m.

           The event is open to the public and will feature brief comments from SSC President Lana Reynolds, SSC Educational Foundation Chairman Lance Wortham, SSC President Emeritus Dr. Jim Utterback and Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Senior Vice President Chuck Brady. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

           The complex will be constructed approximately half of a mile west of the SSC campus on Highway 9, adjacent to the new Seminole High School site.

           The first phase will be a 7.25 million-dollar project and will include a Trojan baseball stadium and field, training facility, lighting, artificial turf, area landscaping, site dirt preparation, restrooms, snack bar, press box, parking, and a youth multi-use field that can be used for baseball, softball or soccer. The complex will provide a new home for the Trojan women’s soccer team. An economic development grant from the State of Oklahoma will help with the initial phase.

           Additional phases of the project will include two youth baseball/softball fields, a parking lot extension, a combo field, a dedicated soccer field, additional restrooms, an additional snack bar and a maintenance building. The Foundation approved proceeding with these phases as additional funds are raised for the project.

           The Brian Crawford Memorial Foundation kick-started fundraising efforts two years ago with a lead donation to begin work on the complex. Additional major gifts for the project have been secured from the City of Seminole, the Seminole Tourism Council, Seminole Sonic and the Kinslow family, the Parks Family, Roger E. Parks Heart and Stroke Foundation and Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

           Seminole State College President Lana Reynolds said she is appreciative of Seminole State College Educational Foundation Trustees and funding partners for their efforts to see this project through.  “It has been a rather long road, but the Trustees, SSC Regents and our financial donors have stuck with us to get this project going.  The land is secured, the initial funding in place and formal arrangements have been made with the Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation and Fields, Inc., for the development of the project,” Reynolds said.

           Founded to honor the legacy and life of Cal Ripken, Sr., a longtime coach and mentor, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation prepares at-risk youth for life’s challenges by teaching them critical life skills. Through transformational at-risk youth programs and multipurpose parks, they create safe opportunities for youth in need to develop valuable life skills, build character, connect positively with local law enforcement, and learn how to make productive choices for their future.

           By partnering with youth-serving organizations and schools across the country, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation provides educational life skills curriculum for adult mentors to use to better engage and teach children.

           SSC President Emeritus, Dr. Jim Utterback, who has directed the development of the project for the SSC Educational Foundation, said the complex will change the face of Seminole. Utterback said, “The economic impact of this facility and park will be tremendous for our area.  It will be a great home for the SSC Trojans ⁠— a perennial national powerhouse in collegiate baseball.  It will also be a destination for thousands of college and high school students, as well as youth playing various sports, along with the scores of family and friends who follow them.  We are excited to see construction on this project get under way.”

           The Seminole State College Educational Foundation was established in 1972 to provide support for the College, its programs and students.  Each year, the Foundation provides approximately $100,000 in scholarships to SSC students. Additionally, in recent years, the Foundation has assisted with the building of the Roesler and Seminole Nation Residential Learning Centers, the development of the Henderson Park area, the Ben and Bonnie Walkingstick Student Services Center and the Dan and Andrea Boren Center.

           The Foundation is led by 29 business and community leaders from throughout the College’s five-county service area and beyond. The Executive Committee of the Foundation is composed of Chair Lance Wortham of Shawnee and Vice Chairs Jeramy Rich of Prague and Doug Humphreys of Holdenville.

           For more information about the Foundation or to provide financial support for the Brian Crawford Memorial Sports Complex, contact the Foundation office at 405-382-9506 or Dr. Jim Utterback at 405-382-9555.