Sunday, September 11, 2022

DUBUQUE, Iowa) A fundraising effort by a group of long-time leaders in the local soccer community has raised $500,000 to offer to the Dubuque Community School District as a charitable contribution, contingent on the school board selecting the Dubuque Soccer Alliance (DSA) bid for the Dubuque Soccer Complex (DSC).

The $500,000 donation, raised by the Friends of the Dubuque Soccer Complex, would be made through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
“We recognize the budget problems facing the Dubuque Community School District, we think this can help address that, and we are not opposed to Court One coming to Dubuque and choosing another available site,” said Chris Maiers of Friends of Dubuque Soccer. “We also know that selling the DSC to the developer will send kids and their families to fields all over the community and prevent the complex from hosting soccer tournaments. Court One has other immediate potential locations available to them whereas soccer does not.”
Arizona-based Court One proposes to build an indoor/outdoor facility, which will eliminate two of the seven soccer fields and potentially impinge on others.

The legacy of the Dubuque Soccer Complex is not lost on the members of Friends of Dubuque Soccer. Many, if not all, were involved in its construction, which was with volunteer labor and funded by corporate contributions and hundreds of private donations. That is a legacy the Friends of Dubuque Soccer honors and wants to continue.
Friends of the Dubuque Soccer Complex
One
“We are trying to protect a 30-year investment of blood and sweat, time and treasure made by so many volunteers,
corporate sponsors, and hundreds of private donors,” said Chuck Isenhart, member of the Friends of the Dubuque
Soccer Complex. “The Dubuque Soccer Complex has been a true success story of community collaboration,
volunteerism and giving, all to benefit young adults, kids and families in Dubuque.”
Bonnie Tiefel
Chris Maiers and the entire Dave
“Mr. Soccer” Maiers Family Chuck Isenhart
Clark and Lynn Johnson Colby and Darlene Bowers Dave Cushman
Dave Nicholson
Gil Spence
Jeff and Donna Haun Jim Kaune
Jim Ott
Mike Ward Rob Kundert Tim O’Brien Tom Goodman

Founders Statement
On behalf of the Friends of the Dubuque Soccer Complex…Welcome!
The Friends of the Dubuque Soccer Complex is made up founding members, former board members and volunteers of the Dubuque Soccer Alliance, American Youth Soccer Organization Region 419 and Dubuque Soccer Club. We are an independent group. None of us are currently associated with the Dubuque Soccer Alliance or its member associations.
We came together after the recent decision by the Dubuque Community School Board, indicating its intention to sell this complex to an Arizona-based developer. Why? To raise as much money as possible for the public school system.

On Monday night, during the Public Hearing related to this decision, we will make the school board an offer.
Recognizing the financial difficulties facing the Dubuque Community School District, we have raised $500,000 as a charitable contribution to the school district…contingent on the complex being sold to the Dubuque Soccer Alliance.
We request that the school board delay action on the sale of the Dubuque Soccer Complex and review our request. We understand this is possible because the board stipulated early on that it would not be bound to accept the top bid.

Upon the closing of a sale of the Dubuque Soccer Complex to the Dubuque Soccer Alliance, we will release the $500,000 charitable contribution through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to the Dubuque Community School District.
Why are we doing this?
For 30 years, we and so many others have contributed blood, sweat, tears, time and treasure to the creation and operation of this spectacular amenity, and it has benefited thousands of youth, their families and the entire community. We do this to ensure that there are proper facilities dedicated to the growing sport of soccer for the next 30 years & beyond.

Any reduction of fields has the potential to send kids and families to fields all over the community and prevent the complex from hosting soccer tournaments. Court One has other immediate potential locations available to them whereas soccer does not.
We also do this to honor those who have given much but have gone before us, including Dave “Mr. Soccer” Maiers, Joe Maiers, Steve Krogmeier, Lloyd Streif, George Wilson, Mark Oberhoffer, Rocky Tiefel, Craig Olson and so many others, not to mention the spouses and children who supported and worked alongside them.

We do this to honor those who have contributed to this legacy but have departed our community, including Denis Albright and Judge Alan Pearson, the founding president of the Dubuque Soccer Alliance.
To honor all these people and so many others too numerous to name, we make this offer to the Dubuque Community School District, as friends of soccer and supporters of the Dubuque Soccer Complex.
We came together to help Dubuque public schools while sustaining this beautiful facility so that it will continue to make wonderful memories for future generations, just as it has done for our families over the past 30 years.
Respectfully submitted,
Bonnie Tiefel
Chris Maiers and the entire Dave “Mr. Soccer” Maiers Family Chuck Isenhart
Clark and Lynn Johnson
Colby and Darlene Bowers Dave Cushman
Dave Nicholson
Gil Spence
Jeff and Donna Haun
Jim Kaune
Jim Ott
Mike Ward Rob Kundert Tim O’Brien Tom Goodman