Superintendent John Lavoie
57 River Rd, Andover,
MA 01810
For Immediate Release
Friday, Oct. 13, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]
Greater Lawrence Technical School Holds Rededication Ceremony for New Football Field
ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to announce that the Greater Lawrence Technical School held a rededication ceremony for the Louis E. Gleason Football Field last week.
On Friday, Oct. 6, at 5:45 p.m., student athletes, faculty, staff and honored members of the Gleason family gathered on the field for the ceremony. The field was first named after the late Louis Gleason in 1991, and following a $2 million renovation to the space, the GLTS community wanted to rededicate the space to one of the school’s greatest Reggies.
The new football field is part of an approximately $6 million project to create a state-of-the-art athletic facility for GLTS. Broken down into three phases, the Gleason field was part of phase one and included resurfacing the existing track, installing synthetic turf, widening the football/soccer field, building a new concession stand, upgrading the visitor side bleachers, bringing in a new scoreboard, purchasing a new sound system and installing LED lighting for night games.
Superintendent Lavoie opened the ceremony by speaking about Gleason’s legacy. One of the first three football coaches to start at GLTS in 1965, Gleason formerly served as Superintendent-Director before retiring in 1991. In 2015, he was inducted into the GLTS Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Louis E. Gleason formed the Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical School into one of the finest vocational schools in the commonwealth,” Superintendent Lavoie said. “He set the bar for excellence in academic, vocational and athletic achievement that we continue to meet today…tonight I’m sure Lou is looking down on this field with both excitement and pride. It is a field our students and community deserve.”
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera also addressed the crowd, recognizing that the field reflects the stature and impact Coach Gleason had on so many students at GLTS. Speaking to the athletes, the Mayor said they’ll bring pride, honor and a lot of “W’s” on the new field.
“From a Lawrence kid to you guys, good luck and be great,” Mayor Rivera said.
Coach Gleason’s eldest son, Joseph Gleason, who was joined by his mother Bridget Gleason, his wife Charlene and their son Matthew Gleason, Louis Gleason III and his wife Ann Margaret and their children Louis IV and Anthony, along with Rose Fabrizio, also spoke to the GLTS community. He reminded guests of his father’s love for football and the Reggies, and that the memories made on the field will be forever cherished.
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