Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 26, 1993 TAG: 9308260160
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The county School Board authorized the first phase of the center at its Aug. 12 meeting. Once completed, it would offer weight training to students and, after school hours, to the public.
Because of the limited space in the school's existing field house, weightlifting and related equipment is generally limited to use by members of athletic teams.
The fitness center will accommodate up to 200 students at a time, and the facilities could be used by the public after school hours.
The new facility will have space for female students and be handicapped-accessible.
The project will be constructed with the $81,000 in cash and $70,000 of in-kind gifts raised so far from donations. No public funds will be used.
About $60,000 more in cash or in-kind gifts will be needed to complete the center, but the fund-raising campaign will continue while the first phase is being built. By the time it is finished, project supporters hope to have enough money to go ahead with phase two and complete the project.
The goal is to have all that done by next spring.
Phase one will include the foundation, exterior walls including decorative brick, windows, doors, roofing, some interior walls and a gravel flooring.
Money being raised for the next phase would go toward plumbing, electricity and heating.
Two special donor categories have been designated by the fund-raising committee: cardinal and gold.
Cardinal givers, contributing $250 or more, will be entitled to reserved parking in the front of the Kenneth B. Dobson Stadium for sports events, two reserved seats for all home football games, and a contributor sticker for a car.
Gold givers, donating a minimum of $400, will get all of those benefits and be admitted free to all 1993-94 athletic events.
People who might want to qualify for those donor categories but who already have bought reserved seats simply can deduct $25 for one seat or $50 for two seats from their contributions.
Ken Dobson and Randy Chrisley are co-chairman for the drive.
The committee has asked the School Board to consider naming the center in honor of the late Louisa Chrisley, who was a coach at Pulaski County High School. A decision is expected at the board's Sept. 9 meeting.
The existing field house at the school is so crowded that one of its shower rooms must be used as a training room, and what was originally a toilet area has become a coaches' planning room. Girls have no lockers, toilets or showers and must use the game officials' locker room.
The proposal for the fund-raising effort to build the fitness center came before the School Board in 1991.
Principal Thomas DeBolt was optimistic about the chances for raising the balance of the money needed to complete the project on time. "We're moving forward and we've got three-quarters of the money," he said.
by CNB