It’s been several years in the making, but the new synthetic turf field has been installed at Newberg High School and will be dedicated during halftime of the Tigers’ home football game versus Glencoe on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The field saw its first official action Tuesday when the girls soccer team hosted Lincoln. The boys soccer team will play there for the first time at 7 p.m. Thursday versus Reynolds.

During the halftime ceremony Friday evening, members of the community involved in the success of the project, from the Newberg School Board to the Newberg Booster Club and the Citizen Bond Oversight Committee, will be recognized,.

Newberg graduates and 2012 Olympic javelin throwers Cyrus Hostetler and Rachel Yurkovich will also be on hand for the ceremony as special guests.

As of Monday, the Newberg Booster club has raised $320,000 of the $500,000 cost of the field itself and has already engraved 60 commemorative bricks in the donor wall located in the south plaza of the stadium, according to president Ron Wolfe.

The school district fronted the cost of the field and has given the boosters another year to raise the full $500,000.

“We’ve got several groups we’re talking to and a couple of larger gifts we’re looking at and waiting on, so things are looking pretty positive,” Wolfe said. “We’re happy with where we are now based on how far into the process we are.”

Only a few small aspects of the project, namely painting the lanes and numbers on the track, installing the sound system for the new scoreboard and installing permanent visitors bleachers, have yet to be completed, but otherwise the “field of dreams” has become a reality on campus.

“I can’t tell you how good it feels,” Wolfe said. “It’s nice to see it all in place. I think people are going to be really impressed with what’s been done.”

By Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic