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Purchase of athletic equipment boosted by $17,550 grant

By Lisa Stevens John - | Aug 9, 2000

Thanks to the Kansas Health Foundation, the new multi-purpose facility at Tonganoxie High School has a jump start on the funding of athletic equipment.

The Wichita-based foundation last week announced 35 Kansas recipients of a total of $360,000. Of that, $17,550 will go to USD 464 schools, recreation commission and community education.

Darren Neas, assistant high school principal who applied for the grant, said the majority of the funding would be used to purchase weight machines and other exercise equipment such as treadmills and exercycles.

“My wife, who is a physical education teacher, told me that Kansas Health Foundation gives away a lot of money,” Neas said. “So we put a package together with the school and community in mind, and they approved it.”

Mark Zerrer, director of the recreation commission, said it would help to have another facility in which to run programs.

Bob DeHoff, school board president, said construction of the new building is on schedule and it looks as if it will be ready for football and soccer season.

The 3,500-square-foot building includes locker rooms for home and visiting teams, a room for referees, a weight room and a multi-purpose room.

The multi-purpose room can be used for wrestling practices, to administer tests to students, and for public meetings, among other activities.

In approving designs for the facility, the school board kept in mind its original intent to keep the cost as low as possible.

A year ago the board rejected a bid that it said was too high, and then adjusted building plans to keep the price down.

The building is expected to cost about $530,000 $500,000 of which is being lent interest-free by First State Bank and Trust of Tonganoxie.

“It was going to be nice just to have the new room,” Neas said. “But it was going to take quite a bit of money to put the equipment in that it needed, so this will definitely help.”