An event that Lehighton Area School District officials called "20 years in the making" drew a packed house Tuesday night as the district dedicated its new, $6.3 million, multipurpose athletic stadium.

The ceremony kicked off the annual "Meet the Tribe" night, during which members of Lehighton's fall sports teams are introduced to the community.Located between the high school and administrative offices, the stadium will play host this fall to Lehighton's football, boys' and girls' soccer, and field hockey teams."When the high school was designed, planners had a long-term vision for this complex," Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said."This stadium was built for the students and community to ensure we can continue to offer safe and effective facilities for generations to come," Cleaver said.One of the biggest improvements is the restrooms.The number of toilets in the women's restrooms went from two in the former stadium to 17 in the new stadium. Two family restrooms were added."We've gone from a venue with the least amount of lavatories to one of the biggest next to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The women's public restroom facility gives new meaning to wall-to-wall toilets. I guarantee there won't be a line," Cleaver said.Football, like many of Lehighton's sports teams, is moving to the stadium from the middle school field, constructed in 1939-1940.The new facility includes an artificial turf playing surface, home and visitor grandstands holding over 3,000 people, a one-story press box holding over 15 people, an 11,000-square-foot field house and restroom facility.The location also boasts a new maintenance building, two parking lots totaling over 300 spaces, a new lighting system, and a large electronic scoreboard behind the stadium's south end zone."It's going to be nice for our kids, but also visiting teams won't have to walk 400 yards uphill at halftime," Cleaver said. "The accommodations are great all around and will allow our athletes to shine in all weather conditions."CMG of Easton was the general contractor for the project. The company's president, Jason Pezzuti, graduated from Lehighton High School in 1991 and played football for the Tribe.Tuesday night, Pezzuti recalled his days as an Indian and how they helped launch his career."As a team on the field, we busted our butts together and it's similar to the construction business," Pezzuti said. "We went after this project as a team. We knew we had the right players and could deliver a successful project. Our employees rose to the challenge and completed a stadium I could not be more proud of."Coaches and administrators aren't the only ones happy to have a new athletic complex.Those students who will be taking the field couldn't hide their excitement Tuesday."We have a lot of pride in playing the last game in the old stadium and the first one in the new stadium," said Nick Skrincosky, senior tight end on the football team. "You walk in here and it just feels like you're a big-time school. The fieldhouse is phenomenal. It feels like you're a college athlete with all the amenities we have."Likewise, Tia Brownmiller is ready to kick off her senior field hockey campaign."The game is so much different on turf," she said. "We played on the middle school field last year and what a different environment this is."The LHS Class of 1964 unveiled a "Spirit Bell" Tuesday that it donated to the high school.Custom made in Ohio, the bell has Lehighton High School inscribed on it and is mounted on a mobile cart constructed by Carbon Career & Technical Institute students.Dennis Hawk, of Hawk Signs, helped finalize the design."Our class wanted to give students something to rally around and foster school pride," Yenser said."It's for both academic and athletic occasions. It's our hope the bell will ring for each student, team, club or activity at least once during his or her high school career. We dedicate the first ringing to all Lehighton classmates that have left us too soon."Over three-quarters of the home bleachers were full for Tuesday's event. Lehighton sold out of its initial allotment of football season tickets in under four hours.Athletes in other sports said the facility will help draw people to their games as well."We typically don't get a lot of people at our matches," said Jada Whiteman, senior girls' soccer player."I think this stadium is a lot more inviting for people. We'll also have music for our warmups here. I'm excited about that."The first football game at the stadium is Friday against Fleetwood.