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Mayor Rogero Celebrates Opening of Emerald Youth's Sansom Sports Complex

Just over two years since the project was first announced, Mayor Madeline Rogero joined a large crowd Monday night for the official opening of Emerald Youth Foundation's Sansom Sports Complex on Dale Avenue. The mayor thanked local businessman Bill Sansom, his wife, Elisabeth, and their family for donating the 14-acre parcel of property near World's Fair Park, and for constructing the complex of athletic fields and facilities.

"This is an amazing, selfless gift that will benefit generations of Knoxville kids," Mayor Rogero said. Joining the Mayor for the announcement were Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis, former Mayor and current City Councilman Daniel Brown, Councilman George Wallace, and former Council members Larry Cox and Jean Teague.

Ground was broken on the project in November 2013 on site once occupied by an H.T. Hackney warehouse. Sansom is CEO of Knoxville-based H.T. Hackney, one of the largest wholesale grocery distributors in the U.S.

The project has transformed a vacant industrial site bordered by Dale Avenue on the north, the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks on the south, 17th Street on the west, and the Western Avenue viaduct on the east. The Sansom Sports Complex provides world-class playing fields and facilities for soccer, lacrosse, flag football and performance training. Primary users are children and teens who attend Knoxville’s urban schools.

Emerald Youth Foundation President and CEO Steve Diggs noted, "During the first week the fields were ‘softly open’ we had over 1,000 city children on the field."

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mayor Rogero and the Sansoms were presented with honorary Emerald Youth soccer jerseys.

Mayor Rogero with Bill and Elisabeth Sansom

Mayor Rogero with Bill and Elisabeth Sansom

Posted by On 10 November, 2015 at 1:08 PM