THE EQUITY wishes to document an important moment in Pontiac High School history that this newspaper missed in the last week before the winter holiday break.
The high school’s gymnasium is now home to a brand new set of bright red bleachers, installed in December after a many-year fundraising effort organized by school staff.
The new benches, which will host high school sports fans, proud parents and cheering friends for years to come, were officially inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony organized by the school’s leadership class during the annual Christmas Classic volleyball tournament on Dec. 16.
“They’re not just a physical upgrade to our gym; they represent the growth, energy, and spirit of our entire school community,” said leadership student Jaycie Hodgins, who emceed the event with fellow classmate Allie Benoit.
“These bleachers will enhance everything we do here—athletic events, assemblies, internal activities, regional sporting leagues, and all the other student life events that bring us together. Our gym is now more equipped than ever to host the excitement and energy that makes Panther Nation so special,” Hodgins told the crowd.
Leadership teacher Matt Greer said school staff identified the need for new bleachers about two years ago and put together a fundraiser proposal.
He said over the two years, the school received close to $60,000 in donations from school alumni and the wider Pontiac community.
PHS principal Terry Burns said financial support from the Western Quebec School Board helped the school install the needed electrical system and the fixtures that attach the retractable bleachers to the wall. “But it’s the community that are the big heroes in this project,” he said.
“It was important to us to have that moment because this has been something we’ve been working towards for a very long time,” Benoit told THE EQUITY in January.
“We wanted to show people how we all come together as a collective and work towards our one goal, [which] was to get these bleachers installed, not only for our sports programs but for the whole community. It shows how we all come together, are proud of who we are, and are willing to dedicate a lot of time for stuff like this to happen.”
