Over 200 friends and benefactors gathered at Notre Dame High School for the dedication and blessing of the new John Varallo Athletic Center.
Bishop Richard F. Stika, the third Bishop of Knoxville, told the crowd that the building was a “beautiful testimony” to their generosity.
Mr. Perry Storey, principal of Notre Dame High School, thanked everyone and gave special thanks to Mr. Frank Varallo and the late Mrs. Varallo for their pacesetting gift of $1 million, to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Decosimo for their gifts and to Mr. Decosimo for his leadership during Notre Dame’s last two capital campaigns, to the family of the late Jack Steiner Sr. for his pace-setting gift and support, to Mrs. Judy Appleby and the MAKUS Foundation for sponsoring the MAKUS Training Center, and to the children of Mrs. Peggy Ireland for their classroom sponsorship in her honor.
Mr. Mike Leiper, director of Institutional Advancement, offered special thanks to the Capital Campaign Committee and to co-chairmen Mike St. Charles and Cliff Martin.
Mr. Leiper said, “Without almost 500 donors giving their time, talent and treasure, this project would not have happened.”
The first floor of the 34,000 square foot addition to the Notre Dame campus includes a new auxiliary gymnasium named after the late Jack Steiner Sr., a new wrestling complex, new locker facilities, offices and meeting space.
The second floor includes the Joseph and Rachel Decosimo Arts and Education Center, which contains four new academic classrooms and a new art instructional studio and darkroom as well as other multi-use space. Also located on the second floor is the 5100 square foot MAKUS Training Complex, featuring state of the art Hammer Strength and Power Lift equipment as well as a wellness track.
Notre Dame is now one of only four schools in Tennessee to be an official Hammer Strength facility.
The project was designed by Artech Design Group of Chattanooga and T.U. Parks Construction Company is the general contractor.
Over the past decade, Notre Dame has invested over $10 million in campus additions and improvements.