The Valley Park Middle School’s attempt to gain some significant funding from the Aviva Community Fund remains alive as the Outdoor Lighting project for the GoGreenCricket and Sportsfields has been named as one of thirty-seven Large Projects ($100-150,000) semi-finalists. Sixteen of those projects, including Valley Park’s, qualified from the voting phase that closed on Monday. Congratulations to all those involved in the project planning work, to those who promoted the project, and thanks to all who supported the project with their votes.

Thirty-one Medium Projects ($50-100,000) have qualified for the semi-final stage , as have thirty Small Projects (up to $50,000). One of the Medium Projects now qualified for the semi-finals aims to implement a new sound system at the Dryden Memorial Arena, Dryden, Ontario and add a press box. Another project aims to add a new electronic scoreboard and bleacher seating for 250 spectators at a re-vamped school sportsground in Collingwood. Wearing the yellow and blue shirts of Aviva Insurance was a bright idea in one of the supporting photos for the Collingwood effort. Providing some payback to sponsors is a key need if one is to build proper relationships for the longer term. Project planning and implementation is not just about a few pretty faces and a couple of smart looking logos.
The semi-finals also provide a chance to support Valley Park’s community efforts when the voting opens on Monday, December 3rd in this battle to secure support from the 2012 Aviva Community Fund from Aviva Insurance. So the candle of hope is still burning for outdoor lighting at the Valley Park cricket field and sportsgrounds. Voting in the semi-finals is from December 3rd until December 12th.
Eddie Norfolk