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LEWISTOWN -- Imagine watching Friday night football under the lights at swanky new Purina Foods Football Stadium.
Taking in a ballgame with players field ground balls on a turf infield at Bon-Ton Ballpark. Cheering on Husky runners at the race around the 8-lane outdoor track at Kmart Field, which is next to the Golden Corral Fieldhouse.
Now, the names of these venues are certainly fictitious, paying homage to businesses of Mifflin County's past. Whether real or not, the naming rights to these facilities, which are part of Mifflin County's proposed $15.1 million Husky Stadium project, are part of the key to its success.
The stadium committee, headed by community leaders and school officials, are counting on the financial backing of area businesses to bring the project to fruition.
Naming rights for the 3,500-seat stadium is the sponsorship opportunity with the largest price tag - $1 million. The fieldhouse is next at $500,000 to $700,000.
The fundraising committee has created levels of giving, with five stars going to the stadium sponsor. The fieldhouse is four stars. The remaining levels are: three stars with a donation of $300,000 to $500,000; two stars for $150,000 to $250,000; and one star for $100,000.
While there are individuals in the community willing to donate, they don't always want to be identified publicly, said Joel Diamond, a radio personality and retired fundraiser at both Penn State and Juniata College.
"Giving is a very personal and private thing," Diamond explained. "In mid-November, we started meeting with businesses and individuals, and we've been successful in getting appointments and warm welcomes from the Mifflin County community. For the most part, people tell us they want to support this."
That's good news because Diamond's group is trying to raise $4 million toward the project.
"We're very pleased to help the school district," Diamond added. "The state has shown their support, and the community is going to hopefully play their part of philanthropy and generosity."
While Diamond said six-figure donors have been secured, the group is still seeking to finalize a stadium naming rights agreement.
Mifflin County businessman John Pannizzo, owner of the Downtown OIP and Grille in Lewistown and Birch Hill Event Center in Burnham, hopes the community will see the big picture and how the stadium project will benefit everyone.
"This is big for our community," Pannizzo said. "It's so much bigger than sports and band. I remember 30 years ago, when we raised $1.4 million to build the YMCA."
He believes the time has come to replace Mitchell Field, which was built in the 1920s, with a state-of-the-art facility.
"I love this project," Pannizzo said. "I'm all in. This is going to be successful. At the end of the day, we're going to have something in our school district and something Mifflin County can be proud of."