Roland Jutras: Nearing the homestretch in LIGHT IT UP fundraising campaign

To The Daily Sun, 

His name is Dr. Craig Gruskowski. A few days ago he walked into Superintendent Mary Moriarty’s office to hand her an enormous check supporting the ‘LIGHT IT UP’ Committee’s quest to bring nighttime lighting to Inter-Lake’s Charles G. Burrows Memorial Field. The committee, composed of five grandfathers, is now in its second year of raising funds to see this project through without having to seek tax dollar funding.

Dr. Gruskowski’s astounding gift brings the fundraising into a ‘homestretch’ pathway as nearly $200,000 has now been raised.

This isn’t the first time he has stepped forward with a sizable check to help young people in our community. Julie and Mike Hayward, the ‘pillars of strength’ in the birth of middle school football in 2020, can vouch for that as can former ILMA Head Football Coach Paul Lavigne. Lavigne used his gift to compensate his volunteer coaches.

The doctor’s excessive generosity wasn’t done for fanfare. Nor does he aspire to see his name scripted on the Contributors Board at the Charles G. Burrows Memorial Field. No, he heard the cry ‘Help Us Help Our Youth’ and he showed up.

A myriad of Inter-Lakes sport programs could benefit from nighttime lighting on school grounds. Prime examples are in soccer and track. Switching their start-times from 4 to 6 p.m. would allow parents, who work till 5, to see their daughters and sons compete in a complete sports event and not just a ‘half-game’ for which they've become accustomed.

Dr. Craig Gruskowski has positively impacted a multitude of young people throughout this great community. He embraces a style of life and a style of service that is in short supply in most communities.

Roland Jutras

Meredith