By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

The YMCA of Selma-Dallas County has been awarded another grant to help build a soccer field on its campus.

In late October, the YMCA received a $25,000 grant from the American Beverage Association and the Alabama Beverage Association.

Soon after the YMCA broke ground on its new soccer field, it received another check for $5,000 from PepsiCo. The additional funding now totals $30,000 the YMCA has received with the help of Pepsi Selma and Pepsi Atmore.

“We were so honored to receive an additional grant from the PepsiCo foundation, and we appreciate so much the work that Pepsi Selma and Pepsi Atmore did to help us get the grant,” said YMCA CEO Ann Murray.

The $5,000 check was presented to the YMCA on Nov. 4.

The PepsiCo senior director of government affairs Steve Lezman came from PepsiCo national to present the check.

Dale Ash from Pepsi Atmore as well as Cheyenne Bradford and Sylvia Smith from Pepsi Selma were also in attendance during the check presentation.

Murray is hopeful that the extra $5,000 grant will go a long way in providing for all the needs soccer players may have during the youth seasons.

“We hope that it will provide for goals and some of the extra equipment that we’re going to be needing,” Murray said.

The YMCA youth soccer teams will have their first spring season next year. Murray is hopeful the soccer field will be ready sometime in the spring, but she said it will definitely be ready for the next fall season.

The soccer field is going to be on the far right side of the building and run parallel to the playground.

In the past, YMCA youth soccer home games had been played at the City Softball Complex. Murray said having a new field in her own backyard should make a huge difference in the success of the YMCA youth soccer program and help to increase the popularity of soccer among Selma’s youth.

“We’re thrilled to receive it,” Murray said.