“The athletic complex began as a dream
10 years ago when leaders of the Denver community identified how a city library, community center, and new athletic fields
for the school could help improve the quality of life for our area students and youth,” said Superintendent Kathy Gilbert. The community of Denver, Iowa, population 1,700, proves
that the size of the town does not determine the success of a fundraiser.
“We raised over $2 million in 10 months for a sports
complex in our town,” said
Gene Leonhart, chairman
of the Greater Denver
Activities Foundation.
Musco’s advanced reflector technology redirects wasted spill light back onto the field, reducing the number of fixtures needed and saving energy.
Fundraising Campaign
“We hired a professional fundraiser from Wyoming to provide direction,” said Leonhart. They helped determine the type of campaign, which involved asking for contributions through letter and personal contacts rather than selling items or sponsoring special events. The fundraisers helped mobilize over 70 volunteers to help make phone calls and presentations and to follow-up with potential donors.
Donations came from various solicitation groups, former students, foundations, philanthropic groups, alumni, and businesses. Others donated equipment or in-kind services for installation.
Light-Structure Green™ System
The school selected Musco’s Light-Structure Green™ system to light their ball fields. The system cuts energy and operating costs in
half compared to prior technology lighting systems currently available. Musco provides 100% of the maintenance costs — including lamp replacements — saving the school more than $45,000 over the next 25 years. “We liked that Musco would cover any maintenance problems we had,” Gilbert said.
In addition, they are experiencing the benefits of the Control-Link® system, which turns the lights on and off, and alerts the lighting services team at Musco if there are any problems with the system operating. “We are really pleased with the lights,” Gilbert said.
Increased Revenue
Additionally, the new lighting has enabled them to explore different avenues. Gilbert remarked, “We were able to host a district tournament there, which brought in a lot of people for increased revenue.”
“We liked that Musco would cover any maintenance problems we had.” –Kathy Gilbert
Denver Community School
District Superintendent
25-Year Life-Cycle Cost Baseball, Softball, and Soccer Fields
Prior
Technology
130 Luminaires
210.6 Average kW
78 Luminaires
122.0 Average kW
Savings
Energy1
$52,650
$30,498
$22,152
Group Relamp 2
$16,927
$0
$16,927
Lamp Maintenance 3
$3,750
$0
$3,750
Controls – Energy 4
$5,265
$0
$5,265
Projected Totals
$75,542
$30,498
$48,094
1. Customer estimated usage 125 hours per year/ 3,125 hours total usage, $.08 per kilowatt hour.
2. $125 per luminaire for relamp labor and materials.
3. Average of 7.5 repairs at $500 each.
4. 10% savings by switching on and off 20 minutes closer to actual usage time.
