Harold Schrock Athletic Complex Named
It took a special meeting so all five Syracuse Park Board members could be present to vote, but the new Syracuse youth complex officially has a name. It is the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex.
The Syracuse Park Board on Monday night approved the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex after the recently deceased Harold Schrock, a summertime resident of Front Street, Syracuse. His family agreed to donate $100,000 to the complex before the naming.
Upon the recommendation of the sports complex committee and the Wawasee Kiwanis Club, which is heavily involved in the project, the park board approved naming the facility for Schrock. The park board voted 3 to 2 for the moniker. Dave Van Lue, park board president, noted, “It is a very meaningful and nice gift to the community.” Board member Shirley Connolly added, “We have named structures after donors previously like the Laudeman Family Pavilion and the Harkless Gazebo.”
Offering another point of view, board member Jeff Nicodemus commented, “I have no problem naming the various fields after individuals, but this is a community project and the name should reflect that. Lots of folks have given time and money.”
While the Schrock family’s roots extend deeply into Syracuse, originally, they are from Goshen where a park pavilion is named for the family matriarch. Harold Schrock’s son, Doug and wife Jeannine Schrock, are long time Syracuse residents as are Doug’s son and wife, Tad and Stacey Schrock, and their children.
The Schrock family has donated generously in the past for the addition to the Grace Lutheran Church and to the Syracuse Community Center and North Webster Community Center among other gifts.
It was noted by Syracuse Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson that a plaque will be displayed with the names of donors of $500 or more. Field names will be shown on the scoreboards and have not yet been chosen.
Attending the meeting were Jonsson, board members Van Lue, Connolly, Nicodemus, Kip Schumm and Jason Traycoff and advisors Carol Koble and Donna Workman. Also present was Dick Pelletier of the committee for the complex.