A $30,000 donation from the United Way of Selma and Dallas County will help the YMCA build a second soccer field.

United Way executive director Jeff Cothran presented YMCA executive director Ann Murray with the grant Tuesday as a way to kick off the nonprofit’s annual fundraising campaign.

“Hopefully, this $30,000 finishes the soccer fields here, and we will see kids playing soccer soon,” Cothran said. “The YMCA and the United Way have been partners since 1940. They are an important part of the community.”

The grant was made possible by a $100,000 anonymous donation made to the United Way, which the organization has used to help Grow Selma buy land for its community garden and Arsenal Place Business Accelerator do renovations.

“We could have stuck it in the bank, but Selma’s worth the investment,” Cothran said. “Someone has to start investment in Selma. If we don’t do it as nonprofits, we are not being very good leaders for the rest of the community.”

Murray said the second field would allow the YMCA to host all its youth soccer games at its facility off Medical Center Parkway. The fields will also allow the YMCA to add programs like flag football, ultimate frisbee and more.

“We are so excited that families and children will be able to enjoy outdoor activities at the Y. We have all this property, and it’s so wonderful to be finally getting it used,” Murray said. “We just feel all the way around it’s going to round out our sports programs.”

This fall the YMCA’s youth soccer league is playing at Concordia College Alabama. In past years, the program has been played on city fields.

The YMCA’s first field is near completion as grass was seeded a few weeks ago. That field was made possible by a $25,000 grant from the American Beverage Association and the Alabama Beverage Association.

The Rotary Club of Selma has donated bleachers that will be built at the first field. A grant from Alabama Power will help build a walking track around the second field.