Retrofitted bleachers a safety boon for CHS

COEUR d'ALENE — A few years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg Washington realized how difficult it was for some people to scale the bleachers in the old Elmer Jordan Court at Coeur d'Alene High School.

It was his late mother, Ann Washington, who especially brought this to his attention. He watched her struggle to walk up the bleachers as she found a seat to watch her grandson's wrestling match.

“These were up to code at the time they were installed," Washington said Monday, standing near the bleachers in the gym.

"Without the stairs or handrail, we had to help her get to a level where she could see," he said. "I could see other people, older folks, wouldn’t even try to climb the bleachers and would just sit on the first row."

Ann Washington passed away April 18, 2022, before she could see a project to make the bleachers more accessible come to fruition.

Greg Washington set out to update the bleachers with handrails and steps, and he has done so in his mother's honor.

“It's one of those projects that you can feel good about,” Greg Washington said. “Immediately, you can see people using it that need it. It could impact generations to come.”

Washington contacted CHS Principal Mike Randles, who was then the activities director, to see if it was even possible to update the bleachers. Once he received the OK, Washington connected with NORCON Industries out of Utah, the vendor that installed the current bleachers in the 1990s and still had the original plans from back then.

"Then I had to go raise the money, because the district didn’t have the resources for this," Washington said.

A CHS dad and handyman for the CHS Viking Booster Club and Education Foundation, Washington was tasked with raising the $17,000 to retrofit the bleachers on one side of the gym to include steps and a handrail.

"I was able to get funding from the Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club, they gave a significant chunk of money,” he said. "So did the Innovia Foundation, then the Viking Booster Club and Educational Foundation helped a little bit.”

He said CHS Booster Club President Rick Rasmussen was helpful making connections with the right parties, and he gave a shout-out to booster club member Kristin Ludwig for helping to write grant applications. Washington also praised the work of NORCON for doing a fantastic job on the retrofit.

The bleachers were updated a year ago. Now Washington hopes to complete the job.

“I'd like to try to figure out how to get the funding to do the other side, if somebody wants to step up,” he said. “This was a huge value, I think, to the community.”

He said the updates aren't just for the elderly.

“It really does impact a lot of people and a lot of families, and it will last for easily a couple generations," he said. "That could be thousands of people to benefit from it.”

Randles said the school appreciates its partnership with the booster club and Washington.

"He won’t say anything, but his impact on this building and this community is so far-reaching," Randles said. "We’ve got a flag and a flagpole out there because of the Washingtons, and he’s involved in all aspects of our maintenance as it pertains to the boosters. He’s always doing something."

He said a lot of times, parents are there for their own kids, but guys like Washington and Rasmussen are here for everybody. 

“Everybody benefits from their kindness," Randles said. “As I said when I came here years ago, there is no high school in this region that has the support that Coeur d’Alene High School has."

Washington chuckled when asked what his mom would think of being the inspiration for such an important project.

"She would say that she was very proud of me, and she wouldn’t want the attention on her," he said. "That’s how she was."

Washington is hoping to gain support to update the bleachers on the other side of Elmer Jordan Court. For details, call Washington at 208-704-4047.

    Handrails and steps were added to bleachers at Coeur d'Alene High School thanks to the work of Greg Washington, who was inspired by his late mother, Ann Washington, update their accessibility. Washington is seen in the gym Monday with a photo of his mom.