Take Home A Piece of the Old Rossmere Stadium

How would you like to own a piece of the Old Rossmere Stadium?

You can! Catholic High's own alumni and Art Teacher, Mr. Dick Ressel '71, is crafting a few limited edition commemorative sculptures made from the actual turf from the 50-yard line! These individually numbered, handcrafted mementos will be auctioned off ebay-style, online from March 17 to March 31 only!

 

Most people are unaware that right under their feet, under a relatively thin layer of organic matter, is a wonderful ceramic material commonly called clay. This is the stuff that most refer to as mud. When this mud or clay is mixed with just enough water it can be shaped and formed into objects. After it is dried it can be fired to a high temperature, making those objects into a permanent material called pottery. What we did was remove the sod from the 50 yard line of Rossmere Stadium and retrieved the clay underneath for a special project, immortalizing the historical ground.

For anyone who has marched or played on the field of Lancaster Catholic, especially after a rain, or in some cases snow (LCHS vs. McCaskey, Thanksgiving Day, 1971), the very same mud that clogged up your cleats, stained your uniform, and smeared your face was formed into a commemorative tile and fired into a permanent memento that will be around for a long time. This is the exact soil you played on, nothing was added or removed. Each tile is unique because of the impurities of the material. Many still had the roots from the grass in them as they were molded!

"I feel a sense of satisfaction in preserving a piece of this history. A professor of mine used to tell us that whatever we are making, it better be good, because it is going to be around for ten thousand years - the 50 yard line dirt, immortalized for ten thousand years. There will only be 10 - each one signed and numbered by me. Don’t miss this opportunity to own this earth and the history that played out on it," said Mr. Ressel about this project.

Click here for the online auction link, through Keller Aucitoneers, to grab a piece of school history. Only 10 of these will be available, nine of them through this link and one special one will be a part of the live auction at this year's Purple & Gold Gala on April 29. That one will be numbered No. 1 and will be plated with 24k gold leaf.