“We targeted the college’s athletics area for tourism funding because the track, the gym, and the Aquatics Center serve as a destination location,” said Lynn Snodgrass, CEO of the Gresham Chamber. “People come from across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest for swim meets at the college, for track meets there, so maintaining and improving these facilities supports local tourism – and by extension our economy.”

Last year, the Chamber allocated $14,780 for the shot put ring, as well as for upgrades to two of the long jump pits and for landscaping around MHCC’s Athletics area. The funds come from local lodging taxes.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Lynn and the Gresham Chamber,” said Dr. Kim Hyatt, Dean of Health, Physical Education, Athletics, Aquatics and Recreation at MHCC. “Having state-of-the-art facilities allows us to compete with other major athletic centers across the state.”

“As a result,” Hyatt added, “we’ve hosted several high-profile track and field events recently, including a TrackTown USA Summer Series meet in 2017 and a Stumptown Twilight meet in 2016.”

Stumptown featured multiple Olympic medalists preparing for the 2016 Olympic Games and the U.S. Olympic Trials.

This year, the college will host the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) championships in May, as well as the 3A-4A and 5A-6A Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) state track and field meets. Additionally, MHCC hopes to host one of the 200 national teams that will visit Oregon in 2021 for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships held at the University of Oregon. This marks the first time that these biennial world championships will be held in the United States since they started in 1983.