AMSTERDAM, NY – A new exercise track, soccer fields, bathrooms, a concession stand, playground equipment, and other exercise equipment are among a list of improvements planned for Veteran’s Field, a city park on Locust Avenue, thanks to a $100,000 contribution from Sticker Mule, an online sticker printing company based in the city.
Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing, and Recreation Director Rob Spagnola and Sticker Mule Co-Founder and CEO Anthony Constantino announced the project details at a press conference held today at city hall.
The inspiration to reach out to the city about making the improvements came last year after Constantino and other staff were walking through the park, which is only a short distance away from Sticker Mule’s headquarters and production facility on Forest Avenue.
While the park currently has basketball courts, a ball field, and is the site of the city’s Olympic-sized public pool, the upper section between the pool and the parking lot on Elias Street, which once contained a field for the Little Giants Football program, has remained unused for years.
Spagnola said that at least six months were spent working out details of the plan. The soccer fields, which will be utilized by the Amsterdam Youth Soccer Club, will be located within the exercise track, and the bathrooms, concession stand, playground, and exercise equipment will be located around the outside of the track.
He pointed out that having all the facilities in close proximity will help families with kids of all ages stay occupied.
“If your kids are playing soccer, and you have younger kids, they can play on the playground. If your kids are playing soccer, and you want to exercise, you have the track,” he said.
Constantino characterized the project as part of a larger challenge, similar to the one that drove him to create Sticker Mule.
“Ten years ago when we talked about starting a sticker company, everyone kind of laughed and teased me,” he recalled.
Now, Constantino said that the business is one of the fastest growing of it’s kind and “is easily the coolest brand on the internet.”
“Lately I’ve been teasing everyone saying look for our next challenge – we’re going to make Amsterdam the best city in upstate New York,” said Constantino. “This is just the first project to knock out, we have a lot more fun ideas planned.”
Spagnola also read a statement from Mayor Michael Cinquanti, who could not attend the announcement event. In the statement, Cinquanti thanked Constantino for his generosity and said that the improvements will “transform Veteran’s [Field] into a one-of-a-kind venue, making it once again one of our city’s most treasured recreational resources.”
After the conference, Spagnola said that orders for the equipment will be placed soon and work at the park, starting with the construction of the track, is expected to begin as soon as temperatures allow.
