Bend FC Timbers seek four new home fields

The Bend FC Timbers are running the ‘Build it Forward’ fundraiser campaign in an effort to create new soccer fields and keep up with the club’s dramatic growth.

Bend Parks and Recreation District officials say that for a third year in a row, the club has seen record-breaking enrollment. More than 2,000 kids signed up to play on about 150 teams. So naturally, the Bend FC Timbers are trying to keep up with those numbers.

With their current facilities, the club has to turn kids away because, they say, there’s virtually no usable space and no lighting on the fields they do use. That means thousands of Bend players are having “home” games all the way up in Redmond and other games at fields spread out all over Central Oregon.

“We are at this crunch, and we feel like we can’t grow any more,” Timbers Executive Director Tara Bilanski said Tuesday. “We can’t really put out the best product for ourselves as a club without building soccer fields. “

Their goal is to build four synthetic turf fields at the Pine Nursery Park in northeast Bend to create a sports complex that’s usable at all times of day and in any weather conditions. The Timbers already have the land through a 30-year lease agreement with Bend Parks and Rec.

“The best option is to have turf that you can play on year-round,” Bilanski said. “You can clear it, you know you can clear the snow off of it, you can shovel it, you can practice outside.”

She added that only one of the fields has lighting, and that’s at Summit High School, which also has the only turf field this side of the Cascades.

“Lights and turf are key to being able to play year-round soccer here in Bend,” Bilanski said. Plus, all grass fields in the area are closed down from November to March, which cuts into what the club can do for its athletes. Bilanski said building these facilities would mean all sports can be played all year.

“You could rent them out to other communities — there’s rugby, lacrosse. And really, everybody in Bend because our population and the limited number of fields — everyone is feeling that crunch. So we think there’s a huge market.”

Club officials said their one tournament, the Bend Premier Cup, brings in almost $4 million to Central Oregon. However, because they’re maxed out on field space, they’re having to turn away other tournaments that could also bring in money.

The Build It Forward campaign’s game plan to raise money includes a mix of grants, levees, companies giving in-kind support, and individual donations. They still need to raise about $2 million if they want to break ground by next year.

Overall, the goal is to build two fields by 2020 and another two by 2025.

To learn more: https://www.bendfctimbers.com/build-it-forward