<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3zlSku_0wPuReM300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3zlSku_0wPuReM300" width="1280" height="960" ><figcaption>Oak Park and River Forest High School on Jan. 16, 2024. | Amaris E. Rodriguez</figcaption></figure>Thanks to $500,000 in donations, Oak Park and River Forest High School’s new weight room will be named after former football and wrestling coach Gary Olson, who died in 1999.He served as a wrestling coach from 1974 to 1979, and as football coach – primarily varsity – from 1983 to 1991. He returned for the 1997-98 season, OPRF records show.The naming was authorized by the school board at its Oct. 24 meeting. The Imagine Foundation, the nonprofit raising funds for OPRF’s construction projects, is looking to raise $250,000, and a matching grant from a donor could raise that to $500,000.The Imagine Foundation initiated the naming recognition for the weight room, largely motivated by Schuler’s personal connection to Olson, who coached him at OPRF.“Stephen often talks about the tremendous impact Coach Olson had on his life, both on and off the field,” said Heidi Ruehle, executive director of Imagine Foundation. “He felt naming the weight room after Coach would be a fitting tribute, as it was a space where Olson spent a lot of time helping athletes develop and grow.”Fred Arkin, vice president of the school board, said that while he personally did not have Olson as a coach or teacher when he was a student at OPRF, he remembers the positive impact he gave to the community.The school district is hoping to raise $15 million for various projects including the construction of a new weight room and other facilities, with a portion of the funds to be raised by selling naming rights in honor of donors or individuals.The naming rights for the weight room will be in place for 10 years.There are various naming recognition opportunities available for donors to name a space in their own honor or in honor of someone else.“Even though the room is being named in recognition of this $500,000 donation, all of the funds go into the same pot … raising this half million dollars will significantly help us meet our goal, as we still need just under $5 million out of the total $15 million,” Ruehle said.Ruehle noted that those who have spoken about Olson highlight his exceptional teaching skills, noting that he was both inspiring and an outstanding coach.“We also made a point of speaking with Coach Olson’s family – his wife and two adult children –to ensure they felt good about this and had their blessing. They were overwhelmingly honored and very happy to support it,” Ruehle said.When asked about the legacy Ruehle hopes this recognition will create for future generations of Oak Park and River Forest students and athletes, she said, “Future students will see his name and hopefully want to learn about him, allowing him to continue making an impact even though he is no longer with us. The same goes for any other spaces that are named.”The weight room renovation project is projected to be completed by the end of summer 2026, after which planning for the installation and unveiling events will begin.To view the OPRF Imagine Foundation Naming Recognition Gift Agreement, click.hereCorrection, Oct. 28, 4:17 p.m.: The article was updated to reflect that the $500,000 is a fundraising goal that has not yet been met. We apologize for the error.</div></body>

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OPRF honors late coach with weight room naming

Thanks to $500,000 in donations, Oak Park and River Forest High School’s new weight room will be named after former football and wrestling coach Gary Olson, who died in 1999. He served as a wrestling coach from 1974 to 1979, and as football coach – primarily varsity – from...

OPRF honors late coach with weight room naming

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