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Volunteers Create New Highland Practice Fields

published September 27, 2016

Volunteers Create New Highland Practice Fields

In previous years, Highland Community College had been renting farm ground north of town for its football team to use as a practice field.  This past year, the decision was made to use a portion of its own farm ground that is contiguous to the campus.  The catch was that the ground was not level, and it was going to be expensive to move the amount of dirt necessary to level the area.  That was when volunteers came to the rescue.

A group of local farmers and businessmen came together under the leadership of Rocky Ruhnke to survey the property, loan the necessary equipment, and provide the labor needed to level a portion of the field that sits adjacent to the Highland Community Center, just to the south of the water tower.  That work has been completed; grass seed will be spread in the near future so the field will be ready for spring practice.

In addition to Rocky Ruhnke, his dad Jim brought a tractor, Scott Twombly brought a scraper, Jason Taylor a bulldozer, Emmet Cole a bulldozer, tractor, and scraper, and John and Grant Gladhart a tractor and scraper.  Eric Cole, Brad Haynes, David Keys, Maurice Kleppe, Justin Tilton, Shawn Tilton, and Rodger Vanderslice pitched in provide the needed labor.

Highland president David Reist was very appreciative of the group effort to get this work done. “We had been looking at the possibility of creating our own practice field area, but knew it was going to take outside resources to make that happen.  With the leadership of Board of Trustee members Tom Smith and Jason Taylor, and the expertise of Rocky Ruhnke, Rocky was able to assemble a team of willing volunteers who did an exceptional job of providing us with this new, and much needed, facility.  This is a great example of what can happen when good people come together for a common cause.”

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