OLSH recently received a lead gift from an alumni family, which, combined with additional donor support, will fund the first phase of construction at the Angela Activities Center (AAC) that includes the full gutting and replacement of the main gym floor and the installation of new and expanded bleachers. The main gym space will be named in memory of Bill & Nancy Harkins, parents of Bill ’85, Tamara ‘88, and Todd ‘91.

The gym floor and bleacher expansion are among several long term capital needs associated with the AAC building. The main gym floor is the original floor in the space (around 40 years old) and the increased use over the years with rising enrollment, successful programs, and expanded offerings has led to the need to fully replace the floor at this time. Additional bleacher seating is necessary to accommodate our growing student population, and we often gather everyone in the space for assemblies and pep rallies. “When we were approached by the Harkins family about making a memorial gift for their parents, the timing worked out perfectly as we were facing the need to replace the gym floor, which has several ‘dead spots’ and is becoming a challenge for our competitive sports programs to work around,” shared VP for Advancement Cheryl Karashin. “On our list of capital improvements in line with the Strategic Plan goal of ‘Ensuring Appropriate Facilities and Infrastructure’, the floor replacement and expansion of bleachers to fit our growing student population had risen to the top - and receiving the funding needed to make those projects a reality was truly a blessing.”

This construction project is part of the school’s Strategic Plan goal, “Ensuring Appropriate Facilities and Infrastructure”, which has thus far included the installation of a new boiler, a new cooling tower, the touchless building access system, tuck pointing, spot paving, and curtains and rigging for the auditorium. Future plans for the AAC include expansion of the back parking lot, formalizing afterschool programming and supervision, and installing updated LED scoreboards. Additional naming rights opportunities are available in the Angela Activities Center. To learn more, please contact Cheryl Karashin, VP for Advancement at [email protected].

Construction is anticipated to begin this summer, with the goal of completing it in time for our winter sports teams to play on the new floor. Accommodations have been made for fall sports and students will utilize the auxiliary gym for practices and Phys Ed classes until construction is complete. Progress on the project will be shared on OLSH social media accounts and on our athletics website www.olshathletics.org.