EHS Alumni Court Fundraising Project

Wildcat Alumni and Supporters,
If you haven’t heard, a new building is under construction to house El Dorado High School. Not to worry, the best high school basketball facility is NOT being replaced, but it is need of critical renovation. Three years ago, the process was initiated to pass a bond to fund the replacement of our school building; on the third vote it passed. In the meantime, costs escalated and the overall improvements we sought to make became impossible, as bids came back 20% higher than the amount we voted to receive. In order to maintain the quality of our academic arena, cuts had to be made, and some of our athletic facility needs had to be put on hold.These circumstances have led us to embark on this very special project: Alumni Court.

As the El Dorado High School Construction Project nears the halfway point of completion, the funds raised for the Alumni Court Project continue to rise. We are very appreciative of the support this project has received thus far. Without the support of the many loyal Wildcat Faithful, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish the needed upgrades we desire to provide for our student-athletes.

A breakdown on the progress made to date includes contributions totaling $80,020 and expenditures of $21,438.25. Thus far the EHS Training Room has been relocated to a larger room located off the hallway between the main gym and the Rec Center. A new refrigerator has been installed in the training room, along with the installation of some cabinets and shelving which were moved from the science department. A wet room has been established and when the overall project is completed the Training Room will expand into a very nice high school facility.

The EHS Swimming Pool has received a liner, courtesy of USD 490, and the pool deck has been replaced with a non-slip surface as part of the ACP. A new swimming record board has been ordered and is expected to be in place by the first of the year. We are currently working on the purchase of a fully automatic timing system that will add greatly to our boys’ and girls’ swimming programs, as well as aid greatly in our ability to host swimming events. Depending on the amount of funds raised, we would also like to look at a few other upgrades in the pool area.

Rubber flooring has been installed in the new multi-purpose room along with a painting of the Wildcat Logo on one of the walls. Wall padding has been purchased for one of the walls for the safety of our wrestlers with a third wall to receive padding after the end of the wrestling season. Two indoor batting cages are also scheduled to be installed, hopefully by the spring sports season.

The girls’ athletic locker room has received a significant facelift with the purchase of a new white board, some painting upgrades and the removal of several island lockers. The removal of the island lockers has really opened up the room and made it much more conducive to being able to communicate to teams. We now have bench seating located around the whiteboard, which allows everyone an unobstructed view of the board. This room has really taken on a new look and will probably be the first are completed in the ACP.

A coaches’ meeting/video room has replaced the old training room and currently has new carpeting, along with a new meeting table and chairs. We also plan to add a video screen and shelving to this room in the near future.

The boys’ athletic locker room, coaches’ dressing room and weight room will also receive upgrades as timing allows, as well as some other aesthetic upgrades to the gym area.

We are very pleased with the progress we have been able to make to date and are hopeful that we will continue to receive the very generous support of our alumni and boosters.
—Gary Melcher, EHS Athletic Director

Giving Back to EHS--Donations can be made on an individual basis, as a graduating class, or team. Individual and/or group recognition for all donors will be displayed around the top of the gym for public view. (Graduation year will be included for EHS Alumni.)

The breakdown of this project is as follows:
• Alumni Court Project Cost $440,000 (Projected Total)
• USD 490 Contribution $280,000 (Bleachers & Court)
• Renovations $160,000 (Donations/Contributions)

Mail Contribution to:
Gary Melcher
El Dorado High School
401 McCollum Rd
El Dorado, KS
Phone (316) 322-4810
Fax (316) 322-4811
www.eldoradoschools.org/ehs