Lee County welcomes thousands to athletic park’s grand opening 

Dingy orange cones, gravel, and dust gave way to smooth black asphalt and manicured grass and trees at the new Lee County Athletic Park (LCAP). Hundreds of cars poured through the roundabout and over the hill, revealing 120 acres of fields, public lawns, lots, and sidewalks on Saturday, September 13.

A campaign by area leaders led to the creation of the Lee County Athletic Park, funded by a $24 million county bond approved by nearly 59 percent of voters in 2020. After a post-COVID pause and rising cost estimates, planning resumed in 2022, and construction broke ground in December 2023.

“It’s nice to see Sanford grow a little,” said Roxana López, who’s lived in Sanford since age three. Her dad joined Sanford Contractors six months earlier, the local contracting firm that won the bid to build the complex in 2023. This was her first visit. “He said it was huge, and he was right, it’s huge.” 

LCAP features one collegiate baseball field, three youth baseball/softball fields, six multipurpose fields (two synthetic turf and four natural grass), a destination playground, and a half-mile nature trail. It also includes four restroom facilities and two fieldhouses with locker rooms, designed to accommodate tournaments for traveling teams that boost youth sports participation and generate increased sales tax revenue, making it truly central.

Lopez was there with her daughter, a cheerleader with the San Lee Middle School Stallions. Angelique, a sixth grader, joined her classmates for a group picture, complete with spirited Pom pom shakes. 

“The last couple of years, Sanford has seen big improvements. Parks and Rec does a great job. And there’s been lots of festivals downtown. This is great for the community,” Lopez said.

The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Southern Lee presented the colors for the event, an honor they’ve committed to for other county events. 

Josue Miranda, a Sanford native and a third-year student in the program, nodded in agreement when his classmates shared how being a member of the JROTC felt like family, hanging out together and then serving the community. “This park is great, it’s good for the area to be improving like this,” he shared.

The teens laughed as they noted the new playground. “We got to be little kids again.”

Belma Simon, another Sanford native, watched as her granddaughter Tilda played.

“Our destination playground is designed for children ages two and up and includes a separate area just for toddlers,” read a post by the Lee County Government Facebook page. “‘But don’t worry, the older kids get their adventure fix too on the massive triple-tower structure packed with rope bridges, challenge obstacles, and big-kid slides.”

“I didn’t know this existed,” shared Belma Simon. “I think this space is wonderful, and should’ve been built a long time ago,” she said, acknowledging the recent developments in the county and the park’s prime location between Raleigh and Fayetteville.

Belma Simon scanned the area, watching Tilda play. “I sit here, and what I see is a melting pot,” she said, shaking her head in awe. “It’s beautiful out here. People aren’t on top of each other,” she said, comparing OT Sloan, Kiwanis Family Park and Horton’s playground.  “Just look around, you have different ages, colors, and ethnicities. And I’m seeing people I haven’t seen for years.”

The opening ceremony included performances by several area cheerleading groups, including Southern Lee and San Lee, the color guard presentation by Southern Lee JROTC, and singing by the Temple Teens youth group. 

The Bullseye Flight Team’s flyover delighted attendees, circling the crowd a half dozen times during the national anthem and again during official remarks. 

“This is great for the community,” said Jeff Smith, a member of the North Carolina Referee Association and soccer player himself. “Players make the best refs,” he said, adding that he played as a kid, and now his kids have followed in his footsteps as players and referees. “There wasn’t much here for kids when I was growing up.” 

While teams began playing earlier this month, the grand opening marked the park’s official debut to the public. The county hosts several sports leagues for kids and adults and is currently seeking volunteer coaches. Smith refereed his first game on the new fields on Thursday, Sept 11.

“We train interested coaches,” said Joseph Keel, director of Parks and Recreation. “We prefer those with experience at the six-year level,” he added, referring to the six-year-old age group. The main fields are already booked through Thanksgiving with games and tournaments, though residents can still reserve playing spaces online.

Crystal Michael and her daughters were excited for the new park, sharing similar sentiments to Smith. “We need more activities for kids, and this is better than adding more residential buildings.” A Sanford resident for 20 years, she recalled other spaces for kids that disappeared. “The bowling alley was kinda it.”

Kirk Smith, the chair of the Lee County Board of Commissioners, let his granddaughter, a youth referee official herself, kick the “golden soccer ball,” marking the conclusion of the opening events. He had a pivotal role in bringing the complex to fruition. 

Kirk Smith gripped his grandson’s shoulders while he rejoined his wife; his family, from his adult children, including Jeff Smith, to his grand nephew, waited for him. “This place…” he gestured around, “isn’t just for sports families or athletic families,” he said, looking to his grandchildren. “It’s for all families. It’s for them.” 

Sept. 15, 2025

Diara J. Townes

Journalist

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