Crawford AuSable School District

Kesseler Family Fitness Center
Grayling High School
1135 North Old US 27, Grayling, Michigan 49738
~ Dedicated May 2008 ~

"The weight room is in honor of all the Kesseler Family including my brothers, mother and dad who attended and are graduates of Grayling High School."  ~Roger Kesseler

 
Roger, Phyllis, George and Jim Kesseler at the May 29, 2008, dedication of the Kesseler Family Fitness Center at Grayling High School.
The Kesseler Family Fitness Center, located at the north end of the GHS gymnasium, was dedicated on May 29, 2008. The weight room project was initiated by Crawford County citizens and funded by contributions from local individuals, businesses and organizations as well as a major donation from Roger and Phyllis Kessler.

The fitness center provides a 600-square foot area, new cardiovascular equipment for students in physical education classes and student athletes and a practice facility for the GHS wrestling team.

Students in the Building Trades class assisted with the construction.
 
History of the Project   ~   Funding the Project  ~   Avalanche Article 5/3/07  ~ 
The Kesselers  ~ 
CASD  ~  Athletics  ~ 

 

This page last updated  08/22/2011

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

History of the
Kesseler Family Fitness Center Project

 

January 2008
The cold weather is hampering the progress somewhat, but the roof is installed, and we are waiting for DTE to connect the gas for heat. Thanks to the generosity of Jeff Rose (mechanical) and Jerry Northrop (crane), the heating unit is set on the roof. Great Lakes Roofing donated the labor for the roof, and it was completed with the assistance of Darvin Powell and the Construction Trades classes of GHS. AuSable Construction and Bill Weaver were kind enough to install the doors. Jason Small and Primary Electric will be donating time and expertise to complete the electrical work as well as help instruct our Construction Trades students for this commercial project. The final piece will be the painting of the walls which will be completed by the Construction Trades classes.
   We hope to open the Weight Room near spring break. We will have a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in May. Please join us to celebrate this wonderful addition for our students.

May 2007
The walls are going up on the Weight Room. After the snow finally melted, John-Al Construction, Jack Millikin, Inc. and Kernstock Builders -- all donated labor -- started to put up the walls. Mr. Joe Ferrigan and students from his Building Trades class have helped with the project, and everyone is excited to see the work being done. When finished, it will be another strong asset for our school and our athletics program. Fundraising continues with a recent $50,000 donation by Roger and Phyllis Kesseler, bringing the total donations and pledges to $107,000.

About the Weight Room Project
GHS is currently fundraising and building a new weight room and physical fitness center which will be added at the north end of the gymnasium. The new facility will provide many benefits to our students, including:

  • providing a new area for the students in Fitness and Strength & Conditioning classes and student athletes with an increased space of 600 square feet and with new cardiovascular equipment.
  • bringing the wrestling team back home to GHS to practice on the gym mezzanine and use other GHS facilities.
  • scheduling youth wrestlers earlier practice time than the current 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the middle school.
  • allowing for a greater variety of activities for all GHS physical education students to help them live healthy lifestyles.
  • providing more opportunities for student athletes in spring sports to practice their sports when snow is still on the ground, which results in better practice times, students getting home earlier and fewer morning practices. 
  • providing the Building Trades class the opportunity to learn and develop pride and ownership by participating in a real-life commercial construction process.
  • protecting the new gymnasium floor by providing an exit hallway instead of the present gym doors that open directly into the northern Michigan elements.
  • replacing the current weight room, which needs to be moved because it is deteriorating the structure of the mezzanine.

The new GHS weight room is a community project initiated by Crawford County citizens to benefit our students. We need your help to build this new facility brick by brick. Our fundraising goal is $100,000.

Back to the top          Athletics            CASD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roger and Phyllis Kesseler

Both Roger and Phyllis Kesselers are GHS graduates -- Roger in 1954 and Phyllis (Ziebell) in 1951. While in high school, Roger participated in track, football, basketball, baseball and the junior and senior plays. Phyllis played in the marching band.
  
Mr. Kesseler graduated cum laude from from Central Michigan University, completed eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves and worked for Dow Chemical Company where he advanced in rank to vice president.
  
He serves on the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees. At CMU, the Roger L. and Phyllis J. Kesseler Finance and Accounting Resource Center was named in honor of them. In 2003, a new residence hall at CMU was dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Kesseler "in honor of their long-standing commitment to the university and their ability to lead by example." At GHS, Mr. and Mrs. Kesseler award a four-year scholarship annually to one GHS senior to attend CMU. The Kesseler family -- Roger, his brothers and their wives -- also award two $1,000 scholarships to GHS seniors each year in honor of their parents, Jerome and Loretta Kesseler.

Mr. Kessler was inducted into the CASD Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004.

Back to the top          Athletics            CASD




 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraising for the
Kesseler Family Fitness Center Project

Individuals and/or families were invited to buy one brick for $100, 3 bricks for $300 or 5 bricks for $500. Brick donations were memorialized in the new weight room.

Larger contributions, which were identified on a plaque in the gymnasium -- included $10,000 (platinum donors), $5,000 (gold donors) and $1,000 (silver donors).

The GHS Weight Room Steering Committee included:
Rick Schmidt, Parent & President of the Grayling Youth Booster Club
Joe Ferrigan, Parent, Construction Trades Instructor, Wrestling Coach
Bill Dean, Parent & Community Leader
Craig Stewart, Parent & Community Leader
Doug Pummell, Parent & GHS Athletic Director
Ben Brock, GHS Health Department Chair & Varsity Football Coach
Joe Powers, Parent & CASD Superintendent
 

GHS Weight Room Project
Funds raised as of January 2008
We've met our goal of $100,000! Thanks for your support.

$10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000

 

In-Kind Contributions by Businesses
(as of February 2008)

F. Fedak Corporation
(Fred Fedak) ~ donation of labor and equipment to erect an iron and metal deck
Jack Millikin, Inc. (J.C. Millikin and Jerry Millikin) ~ donation of 120 man hours for laying the blocks
Tompkins Excavating (Todd Tompkins) ~ donation of demo sidewalk, topsoil stripping, digging and backfilling the foundation
John-Al Construction (Craig Stewart) ~ construction coordinator and donation of labor and equipment to pour floor and do layout and engineering work
M & S Masonry (Bob Starks) ~ donation of labor for block foundation and floor
Kernstock Builders (Don Kernstock) ~ donation of labor for block work
Primary Electric (Dave Small and Jason Small) ~ donation of electric work coordination
West Michigan Trane ~ donation of roof top unit and start-up & calibrations
Great Lakes Roofing (Rob Policka) ~ donation of labor for roof
Mayday Windows (Ray Swiercz and Mark Swiercz) ~ donation of windows
Jeff Rose ~ donation of mechanical labor for heating unit and plumbing
AuSable Construction (Bill Weaver) ~ donation of labor to install the doors
Jerry Northrop ~ donation of crane equipment and labor

Additional Contributions by Individuals, Organizations & Businesses
(as of January 2008)

Special Donation ($50,000/+)
The Kesseler Foundation ~ Roger & Phyllis Kesseler

Gold Donors ($5,000/+):

Grayling Youth Booster Club
AuSable Eye Care / Dean & Aubry, Optometrists, P.C.
Grayling Rotary Club

Silver Donors ($1,000/+):
Weldon & Lois Nielson / Tom & Elizabeth Tyron /
Irene D. Murphy ~ In Memory of Ransom Murphy /
The Robert & Clara Sorenson Family / Jeff & Michele Steffey /
Jim & Dianne Tobin / Michael Wieland / Chemical Bank / Melissa Stone /
Paul Lerg / Paul & Susan Owens / Huntington Bank / Citizens Bank /
Craig & Jody Hinkle / Mike & Dianne Branch / Grayling AuSable Football League
Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation / Doug & Doniel Pummell
Joe & Cyndi Powers / Brian & Toni Banda / Grayling Youth Wrestling

Donors:
Roy O. Milnes Jr. / Richard & Barbara Febey / Larry G. Pond / Barbara J. Nelson /
Matt Haight / Gene & Shirley Rauch / Dorothy M. Walker /
John & Patricia Schneider / Robert, Nicholas & Erin (Jones) Miller / Ilene Anthony /
Vivette E. (Isenhauer) Davis / Scheer Motors / Russell Phillips /
Doug & Darlene Jensen / Grayling Recreational Authority / Douglas Slater /
Arthur R. Thayer / Hart Motors / K. Ramaswamy, M.D. / Rhea Gierke /
Nancy Lemmen ~ In Memory of David Lemmen / Mark Hansen & Nancy Lemmen
Mark, Julie & Matt Ginther / Mr. & Mrs. Bill Kellogg Jr. / Bill & Sharon Klinger /
Jim Hill / Jon Thompson ~ In Memory of Ross P. Thompson /
Judy Davis ~ In Memory of Howard L. Davis / Mark & Marilyn Hartman /
The Jeffry Osga Family / Bob & Mickey Strong / Jeff & Anne Branch /
Barbara Mick / Bear's Den, Inc. / Judge Janet Allen / Grayling Eagles /
Thomas Koernke / John G. Hunter / Butch & Mary Brown /
Dr. Melissa L. Meldrum-Aaberg / Matt Evon / Marv Bielski / Lions Club /
Hard Bodyz / DuBois Lumber / Angie Camp / Mike Dunckel / Jane Lange /
Jim Hulbert / Jack Pilon / Lewis Madill / Fifth/Third Bank / Rich Ferrigan /
Jay, Jane & Jimmy Osga / Class of 2006 /
Ron & Judy Johnston ~ In memory of Alan Johnston
Scott & Kim Johnston ~ in memory of Alan Johnston
Mike Johnston (Lee Designs) ~ in memory of Alan Johnston / Dan & Val Walker /
Fraternal Order of the Eagles #3465

Back to the top          Athletics            CASD



I