We are forever indebted to the Oregon National Guard 224th Engineering Battalion from Newport and Dallas. They arrived in Maupin July 29th and went to work! For two weeks they hauled and rolled rock fill, bringing the future 200m corner up to field level. It was such a fun daily spectacle, watching the trucks come and go through town, the drivers always waving. They camped on the field and even set up a projector and screen to watch a Blazer game. Kudos to Lt. John May, commanding officer. They left the school locker rooms cleaner than they have ever been, greatly enhanced the rock pit and ranch road to the pit, and were incredibly gracious and friendly to all community members who stopped by to "check out what they were doing."
Why did they volunteer to do this for Maupin? Several reasons, really. Turns out when retired mayor & retired Air Force Col. Denny Ross calls, people respond. Turns out the 224th Engineering Battalion was looking for a project to train their soldiers on their equipment. Turns out they were scheduled some years ago, then were deployed to a Middle East escalating crisis. Turns out they are just nice folks wanting to make a difference for a community.
We are continuing to sprint to the finish line of the project, still shooting for Spring 2021 completion. The groundbreaking is very exciting, but there are many additional people that need thanked. The Warnock Family, (Bakeoven ranchers), donated 5000 yards of rock fill. Wow! Wasco Electric & Magnum Power removed 3 power poles with inoperable field lights. Jon Boggs continues to run "field security," checking everything daily. Cash donations continue to come in and there are some important people to recognize:
Dan & Jeanne Carver $20,000
Don Jacklin $5,000
Dean Pollman $5,000
Bergmann Family Trust $2,253
City of Maupin Grant $1,500
Frank Kay $1,000
Kevin & Linda Paulk Charitable $1,000
Bowerman Family $1,000
We hope you continue to follow the project and would be honored if you choose to make a cash or stock donation. You will join the ever growing group of winners making DRAC a reality!
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