By Dean Vaglia
Leader Staff Writer
Oxford Bank gifted Oxford Community Schools over $25,000 to cover the cost of a new dynamic lighting display in Oxford High School’s Ian Smith Gymnasium.
“This unit really helps make our events more exciting,” Tony DeMare, OCS athletics director, said. “It adds additional dramatic flair to what we do. The lighting system is brighter, it is multicolored … it adds a great deal of excitement to what we do.”
The lighting system was installed over the winter break and has been used throughout the winter sports season during player introductions and other events.
The $25,704 donation was handed off on Friday, Feb. 25 with Oxford Bank president David Lamb and chief experience officer Nancy Rosentrater presenting the check to OCS superintendent Tim Throne.
According to Lamb, the lighting donation is the most recent in a series of donations Oxford Bank has made since sponsoring OCS sports programs.
“In the past five years we have partnered with the school on many things,” Lamb said. “They came to us in the fall and said ‘Hey we want to get these lights for the basketball arena’ … and we said we would love to do that.”
Oxford Bank helped buy new scoreboards for the football, baseball and softball fields and the OHS gym in 2017, providing $150,000 to an over $367,000 slate of upgrades.
Lamb says arrangements like this stem from OCS reaching out regarding projects and upgrades, with Oxford Bank providing funding.
“We are just really grateful to Oxford Bank,” DeMare said. “They have been extremely generous to Oxford Schools and the athletic department for many years. It is very apparent that David Lamb takes a great deal of pride in pouring into our students.”