The “Big Backyard” Project
Your gifts helped transform the MLS athletic field with safe new bleachers and a press box. With more than $240,000 remaining on the project loan, your support will help eliminate this debt and strengthen MLS for years to come. We thank God for every generous donor who has made this work possible!
Prior Projects
2005 – Present
Projects the MLS Foundation has supported at MLS and other area WELS ministries
2024
- Five cordless microscopes
- Equipment rental for the Lock-In
- High jump pit
- Tri-City WELS Celebrity Basketball Game halftime show sponsorship
- Arbor Day student “draft pick” appreciation
- Spanish novels for language instruction
2025
- New mascot costume
- Funding for Memory Lane alumni homecoming display
- Conductor’s podium with safety rail
2022
- Basketball shooting machine
- Science department probe connections for students’ Chromebooks
- Press box sound system upgrade
2023
- Athletic training fan bike for rehabilitation
- Track tent for meets
- Student Council ski trip
2021
- Student Council ski trip
2022
- Chemistry hot plates & stirrers
- Music for mass choir Christmas concert
- MLS Lock-In sponsorship
- Spanish ministry experience
2020
- Airfare funding for a mid-year Project Titus trip to a congregation in Florida
- $30,000 in operational support
- Drama room remodeling & painting
2020
- Art educators continuing education workshop
- Spanish classroom library
- Support for the WELS Grade School Science & Fine Arts Fair
2019
- Camera, lens, and photography workshop for PR and student yearbook staff
2019
- Softball equipment (pitching machine balls, indoor practice balls, bat bag)
2019
- Football helmets, shoulder pads, and blocking sled
- Entry fee for Trinity LES, Bay City, to play in the Lutheran State Basketball Tournament
- Faculty fellowship grant
- Classroom tables
2018
- Grant to Trinity Lutheran, Bay City, MI for adjustable basketball hoops
- Refurbishing two wrestling mats and purchasing one new mat for tournaments
- Portable grill for the JV softball team to take to away games
- Batting cage at Cardinal Field
- Replacement of visitors’ bleachers
2018
- Rubber weight bumpers for the weight room
- Purchase of four new pianos for MLS (two performance-quality and two practice-quality instruments)
- Funding for a faculty farewell party and welcome reception
2018
- Treadmill for the weight room
- Softball pitching machine
- Rhino balls for PE and recruitment events
- Cardinal Pride shirts for recruitment
2017
- Initial phase of the Big Backyard Project – office consolidation
- Support for collaborative ministry meeting
- AEDs & First Aid kits
- Art display boards
- Luther movie screening
- Cardinal Field sign
2016
- AED for the MLS Trainer
- Replacement of the gate to the athletic field and Hardin Street landscaping refresh
- Folding picnic tables
- Pizza with a Professor – Spring Exam Preparation
- VIP Student Ambassador shirts
- Upgrade for Hudl Sideline
2016
- New camera lens
- Replacement of the old kettle system in the kitchen
- New equipment for Track & Field and Cross Country teams
- Outdoor basketball court
- Digital displays
2015
- Replacement of floor tile in the 1950s wing
- Repair of brick at the Hardin Street entrance
- Restoration of the “S” that was preserved during the 2010 chapel renovation
2014
- Wi-Fi & technology upgrades
- Phone & voicemail system replacement
- Dorm workout room
- 1:1 Laptop program
- Football goalposts
- Dormitory renovation
2013
- Scoreboard controllers for the gym
- Concert Choir airfare for their tour to the Southwest
- Booster Club concessions tent
2012
- Game room refresh
- Video streaming equipment and service
- Koine concert at homecoming
2011
- Baseball scoreboard
- Wireless headsets for the athletic department
- Hudl software for the athletic department
- Cardinal mascot costume
2010
- Chapel renovation
- Gym repainting
2007
- Bleacher repairs
2005
- Commemorative Brick Walkway