TRURO, N.S. – The TAAC Revitalization Project has received a ringing endorsement from one of the top kickers in the CFL.
Brett Lauther, a Truro native and member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has put his support behind the project, which aims to upgrade the grounds by adding an all-weather football/soccer field surrounded by an eight-lane synthetic running track and a regulation throwing area.
“The project would help so many different sports teams and training for all different ages/levels of competition,” Lauther said on the project’s Facebook page. “Not having a turf field to train on in one of the larger communities in the province outside of the HRM just doesn't make sense.”
In its current state, the TAAC Grounds doesn’t meet standards needed for some sports, leaving Truro unable to host its own district or regional track-and-field school meets, and forcing other sports like soccer, lacrosse and rugby to move to other locations.
There are at least 13 all-weather football or soccer fields in other parts of Nova Scotia, and Lauther would like to see the Hubtown added to that list. He said it would be a huge benefit to all area youth.
“Sports have given me so many things growing up; confidence, how to deal with authority, conflict management, concentration, sense of identity, how to follow rules, and self-discipline. I would love to personally come home after months of being away and be able to help grow the game of football in my own community.
“I have a younger sister, cousins and other family still in the community that this project would be very beneficial for.”
Lauther is enjoying a brilliant season in the CFL. He has connected on 39 of 42 field goals for a 92.9 per cent success rate. Last week he booted a 56-yard field goal – his second from that distance this year – in the dying minutes of the game to lift the Roughriders to a 30-29 victory over the Toronto Argonauts. He is on pace to break the team record for field-goal accuracy (90.6) set by Dave Ridgway in 1993.
Lauther’s testimonial on the group’s Facebook page is one of several from athletes, coaches and community volunteers.
A three-year fundraising campaign for the TAAC Revitalization Project is underway, with a goal to raise $6 million – $2 million from corporate sponsorships, $2 million from government/sport grants, and $2 million from the community.
As part of the revitalization effort, a new baseball field is to be built elsewhere in the community. Work is planned to begin on that facility once the first million is raised. This would allow the infield of a track at the TAAC Grounds to be devoted to other team sports, including football and soccer.
