JAMESTOWN, N.D. (newsdakota.com) – Immediately after the Jimmies 34-7 home loss against Hastings College Saturday, the destruction and renovation process of Rollie Greeno Field at Taylor Stadium begun.

A small number of fans ventured onto the playing field with shovels in hand and assisted the construction company in removing the old surface. But before the physical hands-on labor began, funding was needed to make the renovation a reality.

Queue the community of Jamestown.

“Especially in the midst of a pandemic to be able to do what we’re doing it’s just a real credit to the community coming together,” said University of Jamestown (UJ) Athletic Director Sean Johnson. “It’s also an incredible tip of the hat to our donors and sponsors,” added Johnson.

Since the joint project between the University and Jamestown Public Schools (JPS) was announced in July, the Taylor Stadium renovations project raised over nine million dollars and “a donor list that has grown to 32 units,” said UJ Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs Brett Moser at a luncheon on Friday. The catalyst behind the epic fundraising was the UJ and JPS joining together.

“It was absolutely critical,” Johnson said on the importance of the partnership. “It’s a community project. It’s certainly on our campus but this is a community project,” added Johnson.

Once the two schools combined forces it encouraged a local business to get involved, and late last week that local business became actively involved with a hefty donation.

“With a lead corporate donor that has stepped up to sponsor the track part of the project committing a gift of one million dollars, we are thrilled to receive this donation from First Community Credit Union (FCCU) here in Jamestown,” expressed Moser.

One million dollars is no small fee and it took FCCU some time to commit to that kind of a donation. FCCU CEO and President Steve Smits acknowledged the high school’s efforts to build a new football field but couldn’t commit to a large donation to support only a high school football field.

Then the “critical” partnership occurred and it implored FCCU to make the donation.

“Earlier this summer, I was super excited when I heard the news of this joint project… not just high school football but now a shared state of the art facility that could serve both the university and the high school in both football and track,” exclaimed Smits.

Another key community member highlighted at the luncheon on Friday was lead donor Dr. Jo-Ida Hansen. No longer living in Jamestown, Hansen still desired to aid in renovating Taylor Stadium. Hansen couldn’t attend the luncheon Friday so UJ President Polly Peterson spoke on her behalf.

“I grew up in Jamestown during a time when no athletic opportunities were available for young women through the school system. I would have loved competing for a spot on the basketball team as a feisty point guard or as setter for the volleyball team…My own lack of opportunity to be an athlete has fueled my interest in supporting the athletic experiences, of the young women and young men who are Blue Jays as well as the women and men participating in Jimmie athletics, at all levels—whether intercollegiate or intramural.”

The support was gathered and now the project feels palpable with the construction crew setting up on campus over the weekend.

Even though the project feels like it’s jumped to the next stage, it didn’t necessarily come easy.

“Originally we were going to move the home side back to the west side of the facility (the side closest to campus),” mentioned Johnson. “They (the project managers) realized that the east side really was not savable in terms of the current grandstand. So it was going to save us a lot of money by going back to the east side where the grandstands are,” said Johnson.

It may have been a hiccup that needed an adjustment but Johnson said the change is going to benefit UJ after all.

“In many ways it was really fortuitous because it gives us our parking lot right there, it gives us our entrance right there,” explained Johnson. “No it wasn’t the original plan but I still think it’s going to end up being the best,” added Johnson.

Construction begins Nov. 2 which forced UJ to switch its final three home games around, but the good news is Taylor Stadium will be rejuvenated and ready for play in next August.

Listen to the full interview with UJ AD Sean Johnson below.