By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Grand Rapids Christian Schools set out to raise $20 million for improvements to its high school sports stadium and a new Quest Center, and to pay off some system-wide debt. Instead, donors surprised the schools with donations of $25.5 million, a new fundraising record for the school.
Earlier this month, the school cut the ribbon on the final phase of new construction for its Get Healthy initiative and opened the recently completed $8 million Quest Center.
The Quest Center is a sports facility expansion to the north side of Christian High, 2300 Plymouth Ave. SE. Students have easy access to a new gymnasium, an elevated one-tenth-mile track, team and individual locker rooms, a health club-style weight and cardio room, fitness trainer room, coaches’ offices, restrooms, concessions and a cafeteria space called “The Nest,” where students can have lunch and hang out with friends.
“The Quest Center gives the kids places to do more than they could do before, like weight training or cardio,” says Joe Tanis, supervisor of building and operations. Tanis oversaw the entire project. “We’re talking about adding yoga and jazzercise classes to expand the PE programs. All these programs will touch even the kids that don’t do sports.”
The 48,000-square-foot building was built as green as possible, using stained concrete floors, low-VOC paints and adhesives, and lots of natural light.
Tanis says the generosity of donors has paid for the new stadium and Quest Center in full — some $15 million.
The remaining funds provided $7.5 million to reduce system-wide debt by nearly 25 percent, make technology improvements and minor repairs in all Grand Rapids Christian elementary and middle schools, strengthened the endowment fund by over $1.5 million and provided tuition assistance to families.
Source: Joe Tanis, Grand Rapids Christian Schools; Jen Van Skiver, Rockford Construction
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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