The ADA compliant concession stand and male/female restrooms were completed this year just before the Strikers’ Fourth Annual Clarion Night Lights Classic.

The event, which draws from Mercer, Greenville, Warren, Dubois and other soccer hotspots, has been a huge hit bringing in tourist dollars from outside the area.

CRVS consists of over 180 competitive and developmental soccer players from around Clarion County. For years the Clarion soccer families from every Clarion County school district have utilized the park from YMCA to Strikers soccer.

“We’ve been wishing for this type of facility since the get-go,” Rob Coull, one of the local parents who has been at the fields for over a decade, said. “We’ve been wishing for this type of facility since the get-go.”

The concession stands were out on park benches with no weather break on any side.

“We get compliments from all of the visiting teams on how nice our facilities are and with this addition, they are really impressed,” Coull said.

The President of CRVS, Marcus Bingham, years ago was trying to envision what set Clarion apart. All of the tournaments attended by the Strikers were centered around something unique. Bingham’s light bulb went off.

“We have lights, no one else has them,” Bingham said.

However, the Strikers for years were unable to use the lights since turning them on was highly cost-prohibitive. CRVS then approached newly elected Clarion County commissioner Ted Tharan with the dilemma. Tharan was able to strike a contract with the electric company and the rest was history. The lights can now be used for a reasonable $20 per hour. The lights have been used for pick up games of parents and kids alike, using the lights for what they were intended. The same hourly rate can be applied to the baseball and softball field lights.

The story continues that the funding for the concession and restroom facility was never available until Tharan realized that there was a creative source available.

For years the annual Clarion Veterans picnic is held in the large Clarion County Park pavilion. With many veterans disabled, it was very difficult for them to make the journey all of the way to the park offices to use the facilities. Since ADA compliant bathrooms could be constructed using the funds, the rest was history and the new facility was constructed.

“This facility is a game-changer,” Coull said. “This will positively affect future generations using this park.”