The Friendship Park Turf Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrated the opening of the new turf baseball fields, funded by the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund and city council funds, totaling $2.3 million.

City Manager Harvey Miller opened the ceremony, thanking the legislative delegation, including Stacy Wilks and Angela Hill, who could not attend, and the Mayor and City Council. Councilwomen Jan Miller Stevens and Anna Turnage were recognized for directing funds towards the project.

Councilwoman Stevens spoke about spending summers at the park with her children, highlighting the community effort to maintain the fields. She expressed surprise at the realization of turf fields and the community’s continued generosity.

Anna Turnage noted the economic impact the turf fields would have on local businesses. She expressed regret that the fields were unavailable when her children played but emphasized their value to current and future players and teams.

Mayor Jim Luke thanked everyone involved in making the fields a reality and recognized various departments and individuals for their contributions.

Trevor Adam, Parks & Recreation Director, described the turf fields as a step forward for Picayune, emphasizing their positive impact on recreation and the community. He expressed pride in the progress made and revealed plans to apply for funding for the next phase of Friendship Park.

Adam revealed that the new fields were already in high demand, with teams and tournaments scheduled every weekend during the summer. He estimated the economic impact to be between $500,000 to nearly $1 million, with teams traveling from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to play on the turf fields.

The event concluded with Adam expressing excitement for the future of Friendship Park and its continued positive impact on the community.