Victoria community raises $35,000 toward new gym floor

The Victoria High/Junior High School gym opened in January 1950.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

VICTORIA — After 70 years on the same basketball court, Victoria High/Junior High School is closer to getting a new gym floor.

The current floor is the same one used when the VHS gym was opened in 1950. The floor has been sanded and resealed repeatedly.

The last time the floor was refinished, school authorities were told the floor was getting too thin and would not be abled to refinished again. It needed to be replaced. Basketball players have also complained of dead spots in the floor.

However, the school board has put off the project for several years, saying other capital projects needed to take priority.

The board suggested alumni and the community seek private funds for a new gym floor.

Over several years, alumni were able to raise about $26,000 toward the floor project, but it was still a far cry from the $72,000 or more the school needed to replace the floor.

Brenda Dreiling of Victoria and a group of other alumni and community members decided to throw a German dinner fundraiser to attempt to raise enough money to allow the project to move forward.

In a little more than a month, the group was able to put together the fundraiser. More than 1,000 tickets were sold to dinners on March 23 and 24. They also conducted a raffle with donated prized. Students sold tickets and were entered into a drawing for cash prizes. Volunteer Ethel Younger made more than 127 pounds of noodles. Children from the elementary school even helped the weekend of the dinner.

A VHS student draws a name of another student Friday. Three students won cash prizes for selling tickets for a German dinner fundraiser for the school’s new gym floor.

“When we came together in a joint effort, it was unbelievable what it produced,” Dreiling said.

The total for the fundraiser was announced during an assembly Friday at the school and names were drawn for the prizes for the students who sold tickets.

The dinner and raffle raised $35,194.18.

The gym floor project has been rebid because the last bids are now several years old. However, the fundraisers said they hoped they have now raised enough money the gym floor will be able to be replaced this summer.

Dylan Dronberger, VHS principal, said the school board is set to discuss the matter at its next meeting on Monday, April 8.

“It not only speaks to the care in the community, but the care and pride the community has in the school,” he said.

Other volunteers and donors on the project included:

Mark and Shannon Karst; Melissa Schmidt; Rose Ann Dreiling; Natasha Hammerschmidt; Jerry and Mary Brungardt; Kathy Kuhn; Warren’s Meat Market; Dave Pfeifer; school personnel; VFW; the boys basketball team; students and parents; community members who donated desserts; and Connie Windholz.