U.S. Soccer Foundation and Toro Award $20,000 Gift to the City of Prestonsburg, Ky.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation is the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States. Toro is a global provider of turf maintenance equipment and irrigation systems. Together the two organizations are making a difference across the country, recently donating over $20,000 in new turf maintenance equipment to Prestonsburg’s Archer Park Soccerplex, a complex designed to make Prestonsburg the leader of youth sports in Eastern Kentucky.

Currently, the East Kentucky Soccer Association has 750 soccer players participating in spring and fall programs, but numbers are expected to rise not only among youth participation, but also in adult leagues and special events.

“Without this great new piece of equipment, it would have been much harder to maintain these fields and keep them safe,” said Ralph Little, Prestonsburg Parks and Recreation park director. “This will allow us to keep our fields well maintained in a safer way for the enjoyment of our kids that participate in soccer and for the parents that take an active part in soccer.”

Prestonsburg has a great need for organized soccer programming. The city has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity and drug abuse in the United States. With support from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Toro, the Archer Park Soccerplex project will help combat these issues by providing children with a safe and healthy environment to play and connect to positive outcomes. Archer Park has made a commitment to after-school programming that will advance knowledge and nutrition, physical health, community work and education. The local Floyd County School system has formed a coalition with the City of Prestonsburg to ensure high attendance rates as well.

The new equipment, a Toro Groundsmaster 7200 mower, will ensure that the City of Prestonsburg and the Archer Park Soccerplex have the proper equipment to maintain high quality soccer programming throughout the year.

“This highly productive machine will save the City time and money maintaining the complex as well as assist in providing superior playing surfaces,” said Judson McNeil, Toro Giving Program and Community Relations. “Toro is proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Foundation in promoting the importance of recreation and bringing communities together.”