The brand-new turf made its debut on Friday Aug. 17 during the EHS Orange and Black football scrimmage. The turf had been under construction since the first week of July and opened the day before the scrimmage.

“The turf replacement cost was approximately $300,000,” EHS Athletic Director Alex Fox said. “The EGHM Foundation provided the financing for it.”

The EGHM Foundation was able to receive a note to cover both the installation and replacement of the 10-year-old turf.

“A note is sometimes also called a promissory note,” Theresa Laako, an EHS business teacher, said. “It is a written statement of debt by one or more people to one or more people.”

According to the school district’s website, the EGHM Foundation’s goal is “to maintain, develop, increase and extend the facilities and services of Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7.”

The EGHM Foundation has been the prime force in many land purchases, such as the 50-acre land plot that is now the Edwardsville Sports Complex and another that is now Liberty Middle School.

To keep students safe on the turf, the Foundation helped when the turf failed safety standards. A test done on the turf last year yielded a poor grade on concussion safety, according to Mr. Fox. Some of the Gmax levels were elevated on the turf; the levels could range anywhere from 140 to 215.

“Gmax has to do with momentum,” Nathan Rassi, an EHS physics teacher, said. “The lower the Gmax, the better the surface acts like an airbag to absorb the momentum of the falling player safely.”

Certain areas of the turf with a Gmax of 200 or greater may cause life threatening head injuries to athletes.

“We are doing what we believe is the responsible thing and making sure this continues to be a safe field that the kids deserve,” District 7 Superintendent Lynda Andre said in a statement.

The students of EHS have been eagerly waiting the arrival of the new turf.

Junior Cameron Kirkpatrick, a varsity football player, was able to try out the turf on Thursday Aug. 16 before their scrimmage the following day.

“I think we have the best turf I have ever been on,” Kirkpatrick said. “The whole team absolutely loves it and we can’t wait to win a lot of games on it.”