This has been a tough year but in the midst of the pandemic, Civic Park was able to give our community a safe place to play. We are excited to open the giving season with a way for you to help us continue to lift the spirits of our community. On Giving Tuesday, Civic Park will join the global movement to help people and organizations transform their communities. There are several ways you can help.

In 1938, Eugeneans came together to chip in and build the original Civic Stadium. For decades, it was a gem in the heart of the city. Now, it’s our turn to step forward and build the new Civic. It is the start of building a healthier community for people of all ages.

One Saturday in March 2015, KIDSPORTS Director Bev Smith walked into the Lane Events Center gym and looked up. Rain was leaking through the roof onto the old wooden courts purchased years ago by the county from colleges around the country. Knowing she was about to disappoint hundreds of kids, she nonetheless had to cancel a series of basketball games.

In a city with collegiate sports facilities that are a point of community pride, indoor youth basketball games are being rained out. How did we get here?

The 15,000 children who play in KIDSPORTS every year, along with many other youth and adult sports organizations, face a shortage of decent gyms and fields.

“The pickings are slim in the Eugene area for available gyms, and those that are available are in very poor condition, small, and not appropriately equipped,” Smith says.

“The most competitive sport in town is coaches trying to schedule gym time.”

We need KIDSPORTS and other recreational leagues more than ever. Typical elementary school students in Eugene receive one hour of physical education per week. Lane County’s obesity rates, for both children and adults, have been on the rise.

“The plans we have for Civic aren’t about something that would be ‘nice to have,’” Smith says. “This is fundamental to our ability to raise healthy kids and have them grow into active adults. I’m not talking about training elite athletes. We’re talking about basic physical skills and habits everyone should learn by the time they are 11 or 12. Today, without enough functional, available space to play, most kids miss out on what is truly the most cost effective and practical form of health care.

“We can’t fail them.”

In 2015, Eugene Civic Alliance raised $4.1 million to purchase the historic 10-acre Civic Stadium site. Currently, Phase 1 of construction is nearly complete. We are continuing to raise money to finish Phase 1. Phase 2 will add the 2,500 seat stadium, with an upper concourse, a scoreboard, and additional restrooms. Once fundraising and construction are complete, the new sports and recreation complex will represent the architectural renderings shown above.

Civic Park will carry on the legacy of Civic Stadium by providing a space for the public to enjoy sports and recreation while also fostering economic development and improving access to gym and field space for kids.