The grant will be split evenly between the two schools.
Athletic directors Heidi Morgan (Pisgah) and Jennifer McCall (Rosman) were in frequent contact with Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields beginning the week after the flood, but each said they were “blown away” when he informed them of the donation last week.
“I just never dreamed it would be that much,” Morgan told the Citizen Times. “I stopped dead in my tracks. … Pisgah athletics, Haywood County Schools and the community are all very thankful for their generous donation.”
During the deadly mid-August storm, flooding from the Pigeon River in Canton rendered Pisgah’s football stadium unusable this season and caused significant damage to the school’s baseball and softball fields. Rosman, which sits on the banks of the French Broad River, also had its baseball field and football practice field destroyed, and had to relocate the Tigers’ Week 1 football game.
“The Carolina Panthers are providing these grants to assist the schools, and the communities they serve, in returning to a sense of normalcy by funding equipment replacement and critical repairs which will benefit each school’s athletic programs,” Fields said in the news release.
The repair process is still in its early stages, Morgan and McCall said, partially because the schools are awaiting assistance and approval from FEMA. They hope the baseball and softball fields will be ready for the spring season, but have begun exploring backup options.
Pisgah has played its home football games at Enka and Erwin this season. Rosman football has practiced at a nearby recreational field.
“We’re waiting on some money from FEMA,” McCall told the Citizen Times. “So [the Panthers donation] will be a big help. We can definitely use it, and we’re very appreciative.”
On Friday, the Black Bears face East Henderson at Erwin High School, where Fields will present Morgan and Pisgah principal Clint Conner with a check from Carolina Panthers Charities. Rosman will acknowledge the grant before its home game against Mitchell on Friday.
