An open house for the new Cernovich Field House at the Kewanee High School stadium is set for Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is hosted by the Kewanee Schools Foundation.
Foundation Executive Director Jeffrey Johnson said the open house might be the only opportunity the public will have to look inside this great new facility.
Groundbreaking began May 5, 2023, on the Cernovich Field House, which is located at the south end of the Kewanee High School football field. The new 2,800 square foot structure houses 80 individual lockers, restrooms and showers for the football and track programs at the high school.
Rick and Kim Cernovich raised $250,000 to build the field house and were given naming rights for the facility. They did so in honor of their fathers, George and Mike Cernovich.
An alum of KHS, Class of 72, Dr. Rick Cernovich has been in family practice for 36 years. Owner of the Sheffield Family Medical Center, he has served on the KCUSD #229 Board of Education and was on the original schools foundation board. Both he and his father, George, (Class of 52) are also KHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, and Dr. Cernovich was named an honorary Boilermaker in 2019. George Cernovich owned and operated a Clark Oil station for 30 years.
Also, an alum, Kim Cernovich, (Class of 77) is the owner of Cernovich Auto & Truck in Kewanee. His father Mike, (Class of 45) retired as an Illinois State Trooper, a position he held for 29 years. He founded M&K, which later became Cernovich Auto & Truck.
The new facility, which replaced the old field house constructed in 1938, was dedicated with an official ribbon cutting in September.
The open house will be the public’s and the locker sponsors’ first chance to see inside.
Hot dogs, chips and water will be served by members of the KHS Boilermaker football team.
