United for school athletics

If you’ve got a cool $500,000 in your pocket for a good cause, Gordon

Bowley, the fundraising chairman for Costa Mesa United, has just the

right deal for you.

That kind of cash can get a benefactor’s name on one of two

facilities that Bowley and a host of others -- from city leaders and

former mayors to the Segerstrom family -- hope will some day be

jewels of Costa Mesa.

Costa Mesa United is a nonprofit made up of business leaders,

local politicians, community leaders and others to raise money and,

within the next three years, build a swimming complex at Costa Mesa

High School and a new stadium at Estancia High School.

Bowley, a local businessman, said the fundraising that began in

2003 is gaining steam, with various community members and businesses

coming through for the cause with donations and in-kind services.

Costa Mesa United has organized the group’s first fundraising golf

tournament. The $250-a-head Mesa Verde Golf Classic is Monday,

complete with hors d’oeuvres, a silent and live auction and raffles.

The effort has come a long way since the idea for the group was

conceived by business leaders Michelle Pettit-Williams and Jim Scott.

The overall fundraising goal is $7.25 million for the two

facilities, and the organization’s officials say $2.62 million has

been raised.

Bowley seems confident the group’s goal will be reached by June.

Bowley answered some questions from the Pilot’s Ryan Carter.

What is Costa Mesa United’s mission?

Costa Mesa United is the street name, if you will, for the Costa

Mesa Community Athletic Foundation, founded in 1998 with the sole

purpose of building two community-shared sports complexes -- a

state-of-the-art aquatic center at Costa Mesa High School and a

multiuse stadium at Estancia High School to seat 2,500 visitors for

track, soccer and football, plus graduation and other community

activities.

Why is a pool at Costa Mesa and a stadium at Estancia so

important? Why should people care about this project?

The current facilities at Costa Mesa High and, in fact, Estancia,

are in great need of repair and basically are obsolete by today’s

standards. Because of their condition, no CIF events can be held at

either facility, and both schools have outstanding water polo and

swim teams. But they can never host a final, even though they have

qualified to host one -- sad for many years.

As for the stadium, it is a fact that our city is the largest in

California without a high school stadium. Both teams always play away

games at Orange Coast College -- attendance is dwarfed in this

facility and is not conducive to a high school game -- and on

Davidson Field in Newport Beach, and the teams are often forced to

play on Thursday -- a school night -- because the field is taken on

Friday and Saturday nights.

Tell us a little about the specifications of the aquatic center

and the stadium.

The pool will be a 50-meter swimming complex -- Olympic caliber --

seating for 500 spectators and qualified for CIF competitions. It

will be constructed to allow community use and will offer

21st-century features. Balboa Instruments -- a local firm that

designs, makes and sells equipment for pools -- will install the

filtration system free of charge -- that’s a $40,000 value -- and are

working with local and national pool companies to determine if more

in-kind gifts can be made to reduce the costs.

The stadium will seat 2,500 -- 2,000 for “home” and 500 for

“visitors” -- and will include team rooms, locker rooms, showers,

snack bar (for booster clubs), restroom, a press box, an electric

score board -- already donated by Harbor Boulevard of Cars -- and

will feature Superturf as the low-maintenance playing surface.

Besides track, it, of course, will host local football and soccer

events, community events. It will be a true asset.

You’ve got $4 million left to raise by June. Can you make it?

Although the idea was conceived in 1998, it took many hours, which

turned into years, to determine how, when and where, at what cost,

and what needed to be done at the facilities. I have come into this

in about the fifth inning and those on the team from the beginning

have answered those questions so well that no one needs convincing at

this time.

The fundraising effort really just began in earnest in the fall of

last year. The community needs the two facilities. Our job is to get

the word out to the people and then stand back.

Once the money is raised for the stadium and the aquatic center,

will Costa Mesa United keep going, raising money for other ventures?

We have a wonderful group of people who, with their vision, will

see other needs in the community that I am confident they will want

to respond to.

At this point, other specific needs have not been determined, as

our total focus now is on these two wonderful facilities.

Anything you wanted to add?

Glad you asked. Imagine reading in the Daily Pilot that the

Estancia Eagles Girls Water Polo team kept their undefeated streak

alive with a 9-8 victory at the your name here Aquatic Center at

Costa Mesa High School, while the Costa Mesa Varsity Boys Soccer team

won handily, 3-1, at the your name here Stadium. Naming rights are

$333,000 a year for three years for the aquatic center and $500,000

per year for the stadium. Call me at (714) 546-0072.

For more information on the group, go to

https://www.costamesaunited.com.