Don and Gerry Oleson are giving back to a field that provided them decades of gridiron memories.
The brothers, whose family owned and developed swaths of Traverse City property, and who operate a grocery store chain of the same name, agreed to foot the bill for installation of artificial turf on Thirlby Field.
"We have grown up in Traverse City, played football at Thirlby Field and think Thirlby Field needs to be upgraded and updated," Don Oleson said. "It should be something for all of Traverse City to be proud of."
An early estimate for the turf project is $825,000, including installation and other landscape projects around the field. The Olesons are committed to covering the tab, and have already turned money over to the project.
"They want it to be a first-class facility," said Jeanne Snow, executive director of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, which administers donations for the Thirlby project. "It is truly heartwarming because of the unselfishness of it."
The addition of artificial turf represents phase two of renovations to Thirlby Field. Previously, the Oleson Foundation gave $270,000 to the phase one portion of the project.
"We were afraid it wasn't going to get done," Oleson said. "We wanted to do this for Traverse City and for the area. Traverse City has been awful good to us, and still is."
Paul Mahon, TCAPS Director of Capital Projects, said he's informally gathered information on artificial turf for several years. Now, that research will come into play as the project has funding.
"For at least a couple of months, we will be working on design," Mahon said. "Then, we will be in bidding and will look to be installing as soon as the ground thaws."
Site work will have to be done first to prepare the field for the turf. That includes adding proper drainage.
"Approximately eight or nine dealers of (turf) manufacturers called me unsolicited," Mahon said. "There are many dealers throughout Michigan and Wisconsin. We're not just working with the dealers. We want to specify what type of turf product to go with and make sure we have the best long-term product that will last."
Mahon said artificial turf has an average life of 8 to 12 years, but the replacement cost will be cheaper than the original installation since site work will already be completed.
With the Oleson's donation, TCAPS will set up a reserve fund for future turf replacement.
"We have three teams on one field," said Cody Inglis, Traverse City Central athletic director. "We were one of the only fields in the state to do that on regular grass. We overloaded the field."
For years, field wear became evident as the season progressed. In last week's regular season finale between Traverse City West and TC Central, mud covered much of the middle of the surface.
"I watched how (Central's coach) was calling his plays," West coach Tim Wooer said. "He was calling sweeps to the boundaries where there was good grass. It affected his play-calling and it did for us, as well, but it was something we had no control over. When you walk on the field and there is mud to your ankles from the 30 to 30 yard lines, it makes it tough."
The addition of artificial turf will not only benefit Traverse City football teams, but could bring Thirlby Field into use for many more events. Turf would allow the MHSAA to host playoff football games at Thirlby, and it could be used for other community events such as rugby or lacrosse.
"A lot of different things can happen and the challenge now will be how to schedule those things," Inglis said. "We want to utilize this as much as possible, but I see that as being some of the harder discussions coming up."
Plans for renovations to Thirlby Field have been years in the making through groups like Fourth and Goal, operated through the community foundation. Artificial turf finalizes field renovations, but money still is needed to pay off the previous phases.
"We talk to the kids about overcoming adversity and sticking to a plan," Wooer said. "You have to thank the Olesons, as well as Between the Fences and Fourth and Goal. They overcame hurdles to get this done. It would have been very easy to quit at times."
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