A new turf groomer and three block As were recently added to Andalusia High School’s athletic facility for general upkeep and appearance.

The Andalusia High School Bulldog Foundation purchased the groomer and the illuminated As, which are mounted on three sides of the building, with membership dues and moneys raised from its annual crawfish boil.

Alan Williamson, president of the Bulldog Foundation, said they knew when the facility was built that the turf was going to have to be vacuumed and raked.

“We knew this was a purchase we were going to make,” Williamson said.

Williamson said the new groomer, which is a Wiedenman Terra Clean 100, was purchased for around $7,500.

“When we first tested it — we looked at one last year — when they ran the test runners, the facility had been here more than a year,” he said. “We found car keys, ear rings, helmet snaps; the machine, as it’s raising the turf, it ads a raking system and throws any loose turf in a bin along with foreign objects.”

The groomer is normally used every other month to keep the turf looking good, Williamson said.

As far as the block As on the outside, Williamson said the building wouldn’t have looked complete without them.

“We first thought that we didn’t want to get them illuminated,” he said. “We went with the LED lights, and got a company out of Montgomery to do it for us”

The cost for the block As, which are mounted on the Fourth Avenue, practice field and Bypass sides of the facility, was $8,000 for all three.

The biggest of the three is 8-feet tall and is facing the Bypass.

AHS head football coach Brian Seymore said both additions help with the overall image of the football program.

“Those As on the exterior really stand out,” Seymore said. “You can see them from a distance. The groomer serves a great purpose, helping with the wear and tear and redistributing the beads throughout the floor.”

Seymore said he appreciates all the foundation does for the team.

“I really appreciate the Andalusia football foundation because they go above and beyond to make our programs one of the best in the state,” the coach said.

The foundation’s next project is to work on the press box, Williamson said.