Pushing to build Carver’s Field of Dreams

NEW ORLEANS – Brian Bordainick has no social life and rarely sleeps these days. His life is split between teaching and leading a fundraising team hoping to generate enough money to build a football field and track for Carver High School and the community. 

And now he’s taking his pitch to the Super Bowl.

“No I’ve never been to the Super Bowl. It’s going to be fun.  Just going into the media room, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like,” Bordainick said.

Brian hopes to push the “9th Ward Field of Dreams” idea from the local scene into the national spotlight, as this week the media buffet is in Tampa, Fla.

“Right now, we have people from all over the city who are coming to help out.  I can’t imagine when we get people from all over the country, but that’s what this is all about,” he said.

The ultimate goal is to raise enough money to build a track surrounding a football field with bleachers and a press box.  They have already designated an empty field beside the 9th ward school as the field’s location.

“It’s hard to believe but the land is actually perfect.  It’s a little higher and that’s great.”

But right now the vision still needs money.

When it began in November of 2007, the group was trying to raise $200,000 and use that money to get another $200,000 matching grant from the NFL, however the total cost of the project is more than $1.8 million dollars.

So far the grassroots effort has pulled in an amazing $855,000 in just a little over three months.  If they receive the $200,000 grant from the NFL this spring, they cross the $1 million mark.

But that still will leave them more than $700,000 short of their goal. But those who have been with this project from the beginning say the glass is not half empty.

“I’m excited about the community and how the community has come forward.  We’ve had a lot of support, we could use more, but we’ve had a lot of support,” Carver Principal Dr. Vanessa Eugene said.

“It’s really amazing to see now what it’s become, to see the momentum and the way the community’s gotten behind it, ” teacher Mogan Colleston said.

The plan is to break ground on July 15 and host a track meet at the new facility by February 2010.  When that happens, coaches at Carver say they’ll be able to point to something tangible and say this is what comes from dreams and hard work.

“It’s definitely a tool that we’re trying to get to motivate kids in this area.  That no matter what the situation is, if people come together and you’re willing to work hard together, then anything can be accomplished,” Carver football coach Shyrone Carey said.

And they feel the all the hard work is about to pay off.

Originally Posted on WWLtv.com by Mike Hoss. (Video available at WWLtv.com)