LCRA awards $12,000 grant for new roof at popular outdoor sports court in Boerne

Court at St. Helena’s Episcopal Church and School is used by students, youth teams and community groups

Nov. 14, 2022

LCRA representatives present a $12,000 grant to St. Helena’s Episcopal Church and School to add a roof to a sports court in Boerne. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Kim Blohm, Boerne Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer; Dawn Allen, assistant to the head of school; Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Dawn McLendon, children and youth minister; Tiffany Jureczki, head of school; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, Carol Freeman and Michael L. “Mike” Allen, LCRA Board members; and Anna Kessler, associate head of school.
BOERNE, Texas – Thanks to a $12,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority, a popular community sports court in downtown Boerne soon will have a roof to protect visitors from the scorching Texas sun and inclement weather.

St. Helena’s Episcopal Church and School, site of the sports court and an adjacent playground, will provide the roof with help of the LCRA Community Development Partnership Program grant. The school contributed $12,000 in matching funds for the project.

Head of School Tiffany Jureczki said the concrete sports court will be covered with a metal roof atop a metal frame.

“It will be like a pavilion,” Jureczki said of the sports court, which has two basketball goals and is available to both Boerne residents and St. Helena’s students and families at no charge. “We’re so excited to put a roof over the court. Imagine playing basketball when the temperature is 100 degrees and there’s no shade from the sun.”

The sports court is near the elementary and middle schools in the Boerne Independent School District. Youth league basketball teams hold practices on the court, and community organizations, including the Boy Scouts, use the space for recreation or events.

The basketball court is the only outdoor court inside the Boerne city limits that is available for free, and St. Helena’s provides basketballs to those who need them, Jureczki said.

“There are people out there on the sport court all day long,” she said. “It’s always open, and it gives children, teens and adults a safe place to play.”

Jureczki and St. Helena’s rector, Rev. Dr. David Read, said the addition of a roof will make the court usable even during the hottest August days or in rainy weather.

“We are very excited to receive this grant,” Jureczki said. “We have watched children, teens and adults play basketball and we’ve seen their sunburns as a result of their time on our court. Providing shade for the court makes it more desirable to the groups who love to use it.”

The community grant is one of 46 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

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