The 2016 upgrades at the McLaughlin Athletic Center have been completed just in time for the 2016-17 winter school season to begin. New LED lights have replaced some of the original bulb fixtures in the gym and four new glass backboards and new rims have been installed to replace the original wood backboards on the side baskets. Funds for the project are from successful volleyball and basketball leagues and tournaments over the past two years in addition to continued support from area advertisers.
New advertising has recently come in from Hoosier Windows & Siding. They join long time sponsors: Oasis Bar and Grill, Root Beer Stand, Antwerp VFW, Paulding Kiwanis, Antwerp Rotary, Dr Sarah Mowery DDS, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Antwerp Exchange Bank, Subway, Papa Oley Pizza, Paulding Emmanuel Baptist Church, Hormann Heating & Cooling, Dr. Steven Ellinwood DDS, MJK Siding, H&W Automotive NAPA, Riverside Hardware, Paragon Tempered Glass, and Parkview Sports Medicine. A generous donation was also made by the TEAM MAC girls travel teams. If you or your business would be interested in advertising at the gym please review the form online at www.macgymohio.com
Scaffolding was erected in the gym to get workers up to the ceiling for installing seven new LED light fixtures. The new lights come on immediately when powered without warm up. The two rows of safety lights were replaced and upgraded as well.
Upon completion of the lighting project, scaffolding was lowered to the level needed for backboard and rim removal and installation. MAC Athletics of Mercer County Ohio completed this project. The tough part of this project was fabricating the brackets for the new 2016 backboards to attach to the existing 1970’s poles.
Both projects were successfully completed as preparations begin for the upcoming Black Friday basketball tournament and the 2016-17 youth winter basketball season begins on December 3. Following the Black Friday tournament there will be weekend events in Antwerp at the MAC Gym or at the Antwerp Local School nearly every week through March. For complete listing of events or schedules go to www.macgymohio.com
