LIGHT UP the field for BC Youth Football & Cheer!

My name is Kelly Trahan and I have been apart of Bridge City Youth Recreation Association (BCYRA) Board of Directors for 8 years. The number of kids who register with the BCYRA grows every year. While it is exciting, it also leaves us with a big safety issue. Currently we form as many teams as possible to allow all who sign up to play. However we run out of daylight by the last game and use light plants donated to us to be able to safely complete the last game. Teams going into the post season and cheerleaders participating in competition already need lighting to be able practice at all. The light plants are arguably not sufficient and yearly it is a gamble that we will get any at all much less enough. If more teams are added, we would no longer be supplementing the last bit of day light and unable to provided a safe playing field for the kids. This would be a deal breaker for the safety of the kids and thus force us to cut off registration after the max is reached and begin a waiting list resulting in many who will not have the opportunity to play. Turning kids away is not an option for us as access to youth sports is something we believe is fundamental.

BCYRA is financially sustainable, properly maintained, and we have kept the registration cost stable as to not create a financial barrier for parents. Increasing our annual revenue past levels currently sufficient to cover our operating expenses by increasing registration cost or adding additional yearly fundraisers is not a burden we want to place on parents. However we can not absorb the cost of huge projects for which we have many including: lighting, restrooms, drainage, and renovating the concessions building. While we have been in talks with many businesses including the refineries and applying for grants. We have not been able to secure commitments or have been turned down.

We currently have completed a light study and received bids on lighting fixtures. We also received a verbal commitment from local IBEW requesting this project be used as training. Funds raised will go to the purchase of the lighting fixtures, wire, and a new termination panel. Any additional funds raised or if lighting expenses are reduced, those funds will be added to the restroom project funds we already have after 3 years of saving so that we can complete it this offseason. In order to continue serving the community and kids properly, we need your help. The kids of Bridge City deserve facilities that provide them a safe place to experience all that football and cheer can offer them. We have been good stewards of our limited funds, we have consistently maintained and improved our facilities, and ensured that every dollar spent returns value directly to those who should benefit from it, the kids. However no amount of diligence will result in placing the facilities of BCYRA in a position to serve the growing needs of our community without additional help. We will continue to aggressively work to secure funding needed leaving no stone unturned so that BCYRA can continue to serve EVERY KID in this community who wants to participate.