EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell University Athletics and Grace Community Fellowship will hold a dedication for the Beacon’s new Beach Volleyball courts on Sunday, March 10 at approximately 11:45 am. The ribbon cutting and a ceremonial First Serve will take place at the end of the second service at Grace and ahead of the first official home game for Bushnell Beach Volleyball at 2:00 pm against the University of Portland.
The three-court facility at Grace serves as the official home of the Beacons, and provides a huge improvement since the team transitioned this spring from their previous home at the two-court facility at Amazon Park.
Bushnell Beach Volleyball Head Coach Kim Elgarico said, “As a team and coaching staff, we cannot be more grateful for our new courts. This new larger facility allows us the space and freedom to safely practice and play on our players schedules, which wasn’t a luxury we had in the past sharing a facility with other teams and with the city.
The journey to completing the courts included the delivery of over 60 dump truck loads of sand from Florence, Oregon, and the final placement of the sand over a rainy and freezing week-and-a-half in early January.
“We are beyond thankful to Grace Community Fellowship and their members, Corey Anderson and the athletic department, the faculty and staff who support us, and the construction crews who expertly built an incredible facility. We can’t thank Corey, Doug Freeman, and Ron Hayman enough for their hard work and big smiles through the elements to get these courts completed in time for our spring practices to begin,” added Elgarico.
Athletic Director Corey Anderson said, “We are so blessed to have been able to partner with Grace Community Fellowship and their leadership on this project, along with a few instrumental volunteers (and Grace members) who had connections and the skill set to maneuver 830 yards of Florence beach sand into place. This facility will prove to be invaluable in growing our beach program in future years specific to recruiting, retention and training for excellence while being the “home” to Bushnell Beach Volleyball.”
The new Beach Court projects represents the latest example of the deep ties connecting Bushnell University and Grace Community Fellowship. Countless Beacon alumni have attended the church, and many have done ministry internships. The congregation membership includes numerous members of Bushnell faculty, staff, and trustees, including Michael Fuller, the Vice President for Enrollment and Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Planning.
Fuller said, “As a long-time member of both the Bushnell and Grace Community Fellowship families, I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for this partnership. Grace Community Fellowship continues to be passionate about supporting Bushnell in a myriad of ways and Bushnell continues to be passionate about serving the local church.”
Senior Pastor Steve Hill said, “We believe in the power of community and sports to bring people together. Grace Community Fellowship is honored to be a part of this venture with Bushnell University Athletics, and we look forward to fostering a space where not only athletic excellence but also community engagement can thrive.”
Located at 989 Country Club Road in Eugene, Grace Community Fellowship and the Bushnell Beach Courts are located just three miles from the Bushnell campus.
The Beacons are excited to be able to host Cascade Conference matches later this spring and into the future. Coach Elgarico said, “When our competitors visit these facilities, they will see how much Bushnell University believes in this team and the time and dedication is evident as soon as you see them. That feeling transcends ‘excited.’ We are proud to represent Bushnell and these courts serve as a beacon for our team, our supporters, and prospective student-athletes.”
The next home games for the Beacons will be on Thursday, April 4 against Southern Oregon at 5:00 pm, then on Friday, April 5 when they take on The College of Idaho at 10:00 am and Corban University at 4:00 pm as part of a Cascade Conference round-robin event.