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Sports Turf Association marks 25 years striving for better, safer athletic playing fields

The Sports Turf Association has reached another milestone: its 25th anniversary.

Based in Guelph, Ont., the organization marked the special occasion on Oct. 25 with a celebratory banquet at which both past and present executive officials and members attended.

With historical storyboards providing a retrospective of the past, both founding president Michael Bladon and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ Annette Anderson reflected on the association’s beginnings, its growth over the years and its list of accomplishments.

Bladon challenged the STA executive “to continue our commitment and our mission to provide educational and networking opportunities for our members, and the promotion of better, safer sports turf to those involved in sports field management and to the general public.”

“The STA is an organization of volunteers,” said executive manager Lee Huether. “From the visionaries of 1987 to the current board of directors and everyone in between, the association has grown and benefited from the dedicated service of so many.”

STA president Paul Gillen relayed greetings from Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty who said, “Since 1987, the Sports Turf Association has been making a positive difference in the lives of Ontario’s athletes, providing sports turf managers with the tools they need to help maintain playable sports fields while maximizing safety. Take pride in knowing that the important work you do each and every day makes a real difference.”