Highwood High School gets new bleachers for grad

Long gone are the old wooden bleachers at Highwood High School as they have replaced them with shiny new metal ones.

Laura Myers, English teacher and graduation coordinator is ecstatic about the new bleachers and receiving a $5,000 grant from the Town of High River to help pay for the new seating.

"I was really grateful to hear the other day that the Town of High River Community Vitality Fund approved our request for $5,000. Thats enough money to buy a third bleacher, they are expensive, and some people might question the validity of spending this much on something like a seat. I'm really glad they can see the value of it, given the fact we do share them with the town," Myers said.

"Anytime there is an event out here on a field it's going to make better seating for the populist that's coming to view, etcetera."

Myers continued to explain that she had a lot of help around the community to support the decision and help pay for the new bleachers which they needed. 

"I got help from the town, western communities, the Lions Club, private donations, so there was lots of little bits and pieces that people pitched in to make it happen," she said.

"I have asked for the last little bit of funds from our parent council, so I think they will be fully paid for. But I'm down to like single digits. I'm down to under $1,000 so I think I'm ok."

Highwood High School's brand-new benches beside the old wooden ones.

Myers put the plan in motion nearly a year ago, last April and has seen her plan come to fruition after seeing some of the kids suffering with splinters and other issues with the old wooden bleachers. Something they won't have to worry about moving forward with the new shiny metal bleachers.

"Elementary schools replace playgrounds, but high schools need to replace things like bleachers. The ones we have been using have been here and in use since the school opened in the 90's. It was time that we got something a little more aesthetically pleasing, little bit less full of splinters, a little bit more flexible and sturdier," Myers added.

"Every year we move them down to the park for our ceremony in the park which is wonderful. Not a lot of people get the opportunity to do that, and George Lane Park is just beautiful. We move the bleachers down there and then move them back again. They have been transported a lot of times. We generally leave them there for the town to use for the Canada Day celebrations. It's a multifunction sort of scenario. These new bleachers will be easy to move, because they don't have many bits and pieces to move."

Another way the bleachers are better is that they can line them up and have all the students sitting together unlike the old wooden ones which had railings around the benches.

Not only will the new seats help make things comfy for the hard-working students who get to throw their graduations hats, they will also be loaned out to the town and other events which may need bleachers.

Myers thanks everyone who has helped not only with the bleachers but helps support the school and the students.