ESCANABA — A fundraising project that aims to overhaul the worn-out bleachers at the home of the Eskymos is underway. A donation envelope is included in today’s Daily Press for anyone who would like to contribute to the cause.

According to Eskymo Fan Club President Linda Beauchamp, who is spearheading the project, the bleachers at the football stadium of Escanaba High School were constructed in the 1950s. Over time, as the original wooden benches have rotted, boards have been replaced little by little.

“We just keep on replacing them as needed, and it’s a constant battle to keep it up,” said Michelle Bink, who has been volunteering her time to help the project gain traction.

Michelle and her husband Nick are on the “Bleacher Project committee” — organized by the Fan Club — along with Lydia LaPalm and Sherry Seehafer. Their goal is to secure new, safe seating around the football field, which is used by freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams, along with the junior high teams.

Farnham Equipment Company, an Ohio-based subcontractor specializing in athletic equipment, “has done a thorough evaluation of the stadium, including having an engineer come and inspect the structure,” said Beauchamp.

The Eskymos have chosen a design for the remodel and obtained a quote from Farnham. Michelle said that to cut costs, volunteers plan to remove the existing bleachers themselves. For Farnham to install new bleachers and add stadium seating, the estimated price is $400,000.

“The plan is to order the bleachers in the spring and put them in over the summer so they’re ready for the first football game in the fall (of 2024),” Michelle said.

Fundraising began with the first football game of the 2023 season. So far, $174,000 has been donated. All donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated.

Contributing parties will be recognized based on the level of their respective donations. All donations of $100 or more will be displayed on a plaque by the stadium. Donors of $1,000 or above may submit a message of their choosing to be immortalized on a stadium seat.

Michelle mentioned that donations made by card and online are subject to a 3% fee; therefore, a check is recommended.

Dominic Benetti, financial advisor at Great Lakes Wealth Advisors, stated:

“Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are distributions from IRAs to eligible charities and offer individuals a tax-efficient way to make charitable contributions. In order to do a QCD, IRA owners must be 70 1/2 or older and the distribution must be sent directly to a qualifying charity. QCD amounts are not included in taxable income. Keep in mind also, once individuals reach the age of 73, they are required to take a certain amount of money from any IRAs they may have. By doing a QCD, all or a portion of this amount sent directly to an eligible charity becomes non-taxable.”

The bleacher project has also been submitted as a hopeful recipient of the Hannahville 2% grant.

“Replacing the seating at the field is a long overdue project that needs to be done in order to retain the integrity of the stadium,” said Beauchamp. “When we are finished, we will have a beautiful facility because of all the upgrades the Fan Club and the district have been working on the past several years. The great thing about this project is people have the opportunity to make a donation in memory of or to honor someone and that recognition will last forever.”

Project status and a list of donors may be found at eskymofanclub.org.