Students and faculty, as well as community members of Olpe gathered at the Olpe High School practice field Wednesday afternoon to capture a moment nearly a decade in the making.
The large gathering came together for a group photograph just ahead of the start of physical work on the new Olpe Fitness Park, which is set to officially break ground starting Monday. Fitness Park Committee member Tyler Schmidt says he had trouble finding the right words to describe the occasion, but stated it was very important to have the youth of the community involved, noting the kids are “What it’s all about.”
USD 252 Superintendent Ryan Muhlig tells KVOE News that while they may not appreciate it at the moment, he hopes many of the children in attendance will look back fondly on the moment in the future.
Olpe Head Football and Basketball Coach Chris Schmidt was in attendance for the occasion, saying he has countless memories on the practice field and he is looking forward to the next chapter. Schmidt says that while the project is bringing a new football stadium to the school, it is not just student athletes who will be making memories within the facility for years to come.
This is phase one of the overall project, which, in addition to the new football stadium, will include an eight-lane running track, bleachers, fencing and a press box, as well as the start of a fitness trail. The project is being overseen by ATG Sport, which was represented Wednesday by Vice President of Sales TJ Hallice, who says the work is a bit larger than their average project, saying that tends to be the case when it comes to smaller communities.
Speaking of the community, Coach Schmidt says the efforts to develop and fundraise for the fitness park are a perfect representation of what makes the Olpe community unique.
According to Hallice, the first phase of the project is set to wrap up by August of 2026; however, an exact date has not been announced to account for any weather-related delays.
Phase one gets underway as fundraising for phase two of the project, which will include a splash pad, multipurpose building and completion of the fitness trail, is currently underway. Speaking of phase two, Tyler Schmidt told KVOE News on Wednesday that the committee has set a deadline for the completion of fundraising and architecture work for the second phase, and it is not far off from now.
The total cost of the project comes to just over $2.5 million, with roughly 80 percent of funding provided by the Olpe Fitness Park committee, with $600,000 allocated by USD 252 Southern Lyon County.
