GMHS Lights Arrive; Sept. 17 Looks Promising

The lights for Moore Cadillac Field have arrived and in all likelihood the George Mason High School Boosters will meet their goal of lighting the field for the football team’s Sept. 17 home opener.

Delivered and unloaded Friday July 23, the lights currently sit alongside the football field and await only to be erected by Clarke Construction company, a process that shouldn’t last more than a day once it is begun.

The lights have been the culmination of a year-and-a-half effort by the George Mason High School boosters that included a fundraising drive that successfully raised more the $250,000 for the project.

“We’ve had contributions ranging from $25 to $60,000 from donors throughout the U.S. and from several foreign countries,” David Mowbray, who has been involved with the project since its inception, said.

The fundraising effort included the revolutionary tactic of selling the field’s naming rights, making it the first high school field with a commercial sponsor. In a move gained the school notoriety in Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post and on ESPN’s Sportscenter, Moore Cadillac agreed to buy the rights for six years at $60,000 with the timeline beginning with the christening of the field.

Booster Joel Hamme also praised the efforts of various administrators involved in the process.

“We have had great support from the school administration, school board and city council,” Hamme said.

Those that have contributed to the project will be acknowledged with their names listed on a bronze plaque that will adorn the stadium near the press box area, though a location has been finalized yet.

While some details remain, including erecting the light poles and scheduling, Mowbray stated that there it is 99-percent certain that the first night game at Moore Cadillac field will take place Sept. 17 with a ribbon-cutting celebration preceding the game.