The Drew McLachlan Memorial Fund to Sponsor Complete Overhaul of Carol Pager Park Basketball Court |
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Somerville, NJ – March 23, 2022 The Somerville Borough Council has approved a donation from the Drew McLachlan Memorial Fund which will facilitate repair and reconstruction of the Carol Pager Park Basketball Court. The court, commonly known as “Exchange Field”, was badly damaged in the Hurricane Ida flood of September 2021. The project will commence immediately and is projected to be completed by the end of July 2022.
Andrew Burnham McLachlan was a Somerville resident, an SHS graduate and an avid supporter of Somerville Recreation. He coached many youth teams and was often found shooting hoops at Exchange Field. Drew passed away in 2018 from a glioblastoma at the age of 32. As a lifelong Somerville enthusiast and supporter, it seems fitting that the new court will be dedicated to him. The Drew McLachlan Memorial Fund was formed in 2018 to help propagate his memory and his vigor. Our fundraising includes an annual golf outing and dinner events. With the mission to support local activities and causes close to his heart, we provide an SHS senior with a college scholarship, donate comfort items to Overlook Hospital during our “12 Days of Giving” campaign and have made various donations to Somerville Recreation. Drew battled his illness with unflappable determination, and the Board of DMMF will be unflappable in our quest to keep his presence felt in the town. The DMMF “Unflappable” logo will be part of the new court design. John McLachlan, President of the DMMF Board and brother of Drew, was quoted as saying, “With this contribution to Somerville, we have achieved a 10 year goal in 4 years. We set out to build something that would have a lasting impression on his hometown and keep Drew forward in everyone’s memory. We hope this is the start of a long legacy of the DMMF impact on Somerville.” |
