Northern inching closer to $120K goal

Since January, Port Huron Northern High School has not stopped moving toward its $120,000 goal to pay for a new gymnasium floor.

On Thursday, the school took a big leap toward realizing that goal with a $10,000 corporate sponsorship from Talmer Bank and Trust.

The school now has corporate sponsorships lined up for six out of 10 advertising spots that will be placed in the new floor. School officials hope the floor will go in by summer 2016.

A student-led walk-a-thon Sept. 26 also will focus on getting funding in hand before the campaign’s Oct. 2 deadline.

“So far we have $75,000 committed to this project. We’re very close to getting this done,” Northern’s athletic director and assistant principal Jason Kasparian said. “We’re not there yet, we’re still looking for some more people for sure, and I have some contacts out there and I’m hoping this last little push will get us there.”

Kasparian said the school has verbal commitments from SEMCO Energy, McLaren Port Huron, Zimmer Roofing, Ted’s Coney Island, Kelly Law Firm, and Northern Athletic Boosters Club.

“It’s one of those things that, you have a vision, and part of our vision was recognizing we’ve got to do something. So we’re almost there. We’re close,” Kasparian said.

Talmer Bank will have first choice in where its 3-foot-by-5-foot logo will be placed within the space that school officials have set aside for corporate ads.

William Oldford, Talmer Bank regional director, was on hand Thursday to present the school with a check.

“The fact that the Port Huron Area School District does so much for our community, replacing a gym floor in these times can’t be a priority with budget constraints being as they are. We’re just really proud of the fact that we can help to bring something to the community and to the district,” Oldford said.

Student Jenna Koppinger, a junior at the school, was at the gym to talk about the upcoming Fund Our Floor Walk-a-thon she and fellow athletes at the school will be hosting. The walk will involve Northern athletic teams and future Northern students at the district’s three middle schools.

“We’re just working toward the floor itself and toward the community. We think it would be a good investment for later years,” Jenna said.

Kasparian said the campaign has taken on its own energy where students are getting involved.

Superintendent James Cain, who also attended the gathering, said the corporate sponsorships from Talmer and other businesses are part of a bigger push to get the community involved in the district’s athletics and academic programs.

“It’s a general philosophy or theme we have going right now — some positive momentum of business partnerships. We have partnerships going with other businesses that are going to focus on academics in this school. It all kind of comes together and really highlights the critical importance of our community, whether investing financially or with time at our school,” Cain said.

Contact Syeda Ferguson at (810) 989-6276 or email her at syeda@thetimesherald.com. Follow her on Twitter@shossainfe.

HOW TO DONATE

•To donate to the Port Huron Northern campaign to raise funds for a new gym floor, go to http://phn.phasd.us/

•For more information, or to inquire about a corporate sponsorship, contact Northern’s athletic office (810) 984-2671 ext. 1829

FUND OUR FLOOR WALK-A-THON

•The walk begins at 9 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Northern track. Route is to Holland Woods Middle School and back. To register, go to phn.huskies.com