By Pia Abola | February 21, 2018
The generosity and spirit of the Alameda community is amazing. On Sunday, February 11, the Alameda Soccer Club held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hornet Futsal Court, located at the site of the unused tennis courts adjacent to Hornet Soccer Field. While the main funding to refinish the court came from the San Jose Earthquakes, the US Soccer Foundation, and the Alameda Soccer Club, this wonderful new facility could not have been built without the hard work and generosity of so many Alamedans. We at the Alameda Soccer Club would like to loudly thank all of the volunteers who gave so freely of their time and labor, local businesses who donated tens of thousands of dollars-worth of goods and services, and city officials who supported and advocated for this project.
We’d like to especially recognize:
Power Engineering & Construction Co. — Dan Reynolds and team for providing the labor, heavy equipment, and know-how for prepping the site for refinishing
Coker Pump & Equipment Co. — Erik Coker for the loan of the power washer used to prep the site and the generators that powered the ribbon cutting event
20/20 Productions (Andy MacKay) & Event Magic (Eddie Cantrell) — thanks to both of your companies and teams for audio visual, stage, and production expertise that made the ribbon cutting event run so smoothly
SpeedPro East Bay — Ed Owens and team for donating many of the banners for the Hornet site and printing so quickly at the last minute (they really are speedy!)
Alameda County Industries (ACI) — for garbage bins and garbage removal for the ribbon cutting event
Alameda Public Works — for the “Clear Stream Recycling Systems,” used at the ribbon cutting event and providing road closure barricades and a 4-wheel drive cart
River Rock Real Estate Group (Property Manager for Alameda Point) — for providing access to parking lots for the ribbon cutting event
Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation and Parks Director — for so strongly supporting this project
Mayor Trish Herrera Spencer — for not only supporting this project but coming out on a cold and windy ribbon cutting day to say a few words and play futsal with our Champions League players
Alameda Councilmember Jim Oddie — for also braving the cold and wind to come out and support the ribbon cutting event
The Alameda City Council — for supporting the opening of this wonderful new facility
And last, but definitely not least, Eugene Demmler, past president of Alameda Soccer Club whose tireless work, persistence, and vision navigated so many logistical, political, and monetary hurdles to take a once unused eyesore and turn it into a great new sports facility for the community.