The Kenaston Kodiaks senior girls basketball team are tentatively scheduled to take on the Middle Lake Avengers Dec. 14 in what will be the grand unveiling of the new hardwood floor and glass backboards in the Dan O’Handley Gymnasium at Kenaston School.

Darren Gasper, principal of Kenaston School, said the basketball tournament will serve as a “kickoff” for the refurbished gym and the school is looking to bring in all the major donors for the game who helped in getting the funding secured for the school to build the floor and install the basketball backboards. He said the school is also inviting members of the community to come to the afternoon game to take a look at the improved gymnasium that also serves as a community hub for sports activities.

“We’re aiming for about a 2 p.m. start, but we’re still waiting to hear from Middle Lake if they’re able to come at that same time,” said Gasper. “It’s coincidental, but Middle Lake is the school we based the fund-raising floor project around because they did the exact same thing last year. Their basketball coach was actually a big help with suggestions about how we could go about doing it. They’re going to be here to kick it off, so it’ll be nice to see.”

Gasper said the floor, which last received an upgrade 28 years ago, was supposed to be replaced by the Sun West School Division next year with a rubberized gym floor, but after consulting with members of the community the school decided to approach the division about putting in a more expensive hardwood floor this year. He said the school division agreed to the project if the school could come up with the cost difference of installing a hardwood floor versus a rubberized one.

“While we were doing that we decided to do the glass backboards at the same time, so the gym is going to get a whole refinished look.”

Gasper said the school had to come up with $40,000 on top of the $55,000 Sun West was putting towards the renovation for the floor, while the school was responsible for the full $8,000 cost of the new backboards. He said members of the community including individuals, families, organizations and businesses were extremely helpful and willing to donate funds to make up the extra costs.

“We’re building a big donor board made up with the same floor material to go on the wall outside the gymnasium to recognize all our donors with some family names or memorials in memory of particular people or company logos if it’s a business that donated just to recognize them,” he said, noting the major donors to the gym floor project were Dakota Dunes and the Kenaston Lions Club through their Super Draft hockey lottery.

Gene Zdunich, head coach of the senior girls basketball team, said everyone is extremely happy a new floor has been put in as the old one was “compacted” and provided no give in it. He said the new hardwood floor is going to make it easier on the players’ knees during game time and practice.

Gasper said the school also has plans to build a running track behind the school in the spring and renovate the school and community playground in the early summer. He said building the track would come at a cost of around $20,000, while the new playground will cost at about $64,000.

To read more please see the Dec. 3 print edition of The Davidson Leader.