Earlier this year, staff at Pontiac High School announced that it would be fundraising for a set of retractable bleachers in their gymnasium and the community has been generous with its support.

PHS physical education teacher Darcy Findlay said that the process has been going well, and with the school posting thank-you messages to donors on social media, they were able to generate some additional interest from the public. He said they were quoted $64,000 for the kind of motorized, retractable bleachers they were interested in (installation included) and have already raised roughly $52,000.

He said that they still have to put out tenders for the project, but he hoped the installation would take place before the end of the school year. He added that he and his colleagues were currently brainstorming their next fundraising effort, with ideas like outdoor lighting at their soccer field or a 400 m track being tossed around.

Nominations open for Athletic Hall of Fame

Findlay also spoke about the school's Athletic Hall of Fame, which was created in 2020 and had its first class of 13 inducted the following spring. He said that they were looking to add another five entries to the books before closing nominations for a considerable period. He said that they have several categories, from master athlete to coach to pioneer, encompassing a wide range of involvement in athletics at PHS and beyond.

Anyone previously nominated for  2021 class will be automatically considered for induction, and the deadline for additional nominations is December 31 at 8 p.m. More details on the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame can be found here.

The full interview with Findlay is available below: