Harris-Stowe State University News July 14, 2020 Harris-Stowe State University and St. Louis Cardinals hold groundbreaking ceremony for $1.35 million Stars Park renovation Today, Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) in conjunction with St. Louis Cardinals and Cardinals Care Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the $1.35 million Stars Park field renovation and construction project on Stars Park. Harris-Stowe President Dr. Corey S. Bradford, Sr. said, "On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Regents here at Harris-Stowe State University, we would like to express our most sincere appreciation to the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cardinal Care Foundation for their generous donation to Harris-Stowe State University." Dr. Bradford went on to say that the renovation would fulfill HSSU's commitment to providing student-athletes with the best facilities and the resources that they need to be competitive on the sports field. "I thought this would be a good opportunity for Cardinals Care to help out this historical site. In addition to replacing the scoreboard, the decision to complete a full ballfield renovation, including a new softball field, came from discussions from the team president, president of the Cardinals Care Board, and Cardinals Care Board members," Michael Hall, Vice President, Community Relations and Executive Director, of Cardinals Care said. The state-of-the-art NAIA level baseball and softball field renovation is the result of a seven-figure investment by Cardinals Care and six-figure investment by Harris-Stowe that will include fully irrigated fields, seating for 200 at the baseball field and 100 at the softball field, enclosed press boxes, enclosed NAIA level dugouts, and new scoreboards. William Berger, a left-handed pitcher for the Hornets, commented on how much Stars Park means to him. "Every summer, there would be a mandatory requirement of field work that ranged from two weeks to one month. We didn't have the best field, often competitors would laugh at us, but we used it as a form of motivation. We took the identity of 'Stowe Boys' from working hard and taking pride in our fields. I'm grateful for Coach CJ Bilbrey; this field is a fruit of his labor," Berger said. Athletic Director Ms. Dorianne Johnson thanked the St. Louis Cardinals and Cardinals Care Foundation for providing HSSU with the field renovation. "As a former student-athlete, I know firsthand the competitive spirit that rises up in a student athlete when you have a great place to play. After speaking with our baseball and softball programs, they are grateful, excited and ready to compete," Johnson said. The field is located on the southwest corner of the Harris-Stowe campus on the corner of Market Street and Compton Avenue. The project is expected to take three months. The renovated park will be formally dedicated mid-October. Clayco Inc., a construction engineering company, is leading the construction of the field. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/