Anonymous donor gives schools $50,000 in honor of Scott Herr

Donation to fund a new fitness center

Thanks to an incredibly generous and unexpected donation in honor of the late Scott Herr, the Canton High School community will soon have a new fitness center that staff and students can be proud of.

Superintendent Dr. John D’Auria made the surprise announcement at the School Committee meeting on April 15, explaining that the donor, who has since asked to remain anonymous, pledged to contribute $50,000 to the right kind of project — namely, one that would get a lot of use and one that would serve as a tribute to Scott, the young CHS alum who touched countless lives before his tragic death in a car accident this winter.

D’Auria said school administrators had pitched a few ideas to Scott’s parents, Joe and Linda Herr, but after some careful consideration they elected to put all of the money toward the fitness center, a project that was already in the works yet in considerable need of more funding.

“This one worked all around,” said D’Auria, echoing the sentiments expressed to him by the Herrs. “It serves every kid; it honors Scott; and there’s something here for the community.”

It is also a particularly fitting tribute because Scott, a former three-sport athlete at CHS, was “so much into fitness,” according to his father.

“It’s just nice that something can memorialize Scott at the high school,” said Joe Herr, who, along with Linda, continues to be amazed by the outpouring of generosity and support from the community.

Much of the recent outpouring has come in the form of donations to the Scott Herr Memorial Scholarship Fund, although Joe stressed that none of the money raised for that purpose will be used to fund the fitness center.

However, with the $50,000 donation alone, project organizers believe they can do something pretty special with the designated space, which is located on the second floor, across from the school’s library and media center and above the locker room area.

CHS Athletic Director Danny Erickson and Wellness Coordinator Peter Boucher had been eyeing the large, sparsely used room as a potential fitness center for the better part of this year, but never did they expect such massive financial assistance all at once.

“This is just a major game changer,” said Erickson, who was set to go ahead with the project with just a few thousand dollars. “It’s going to really make it a lot more accessible for athletes to use.”

Currently, the fitness equipment is spread over two rooms: a small cardio room known as the “cardio closet” and a weight room that is not easily accessible and “very unwelcoming,” according to Erickson.

“We’re basically merging the weight room and the cardio room to make it truly a fitness center,” he explained, adding that issues such as staffing and scheduling still need to be worked out.

Although the project is still very much in the planning stages, Erickson said one of the many long-term goals would be to allow residents to take advantage of the facility, perhaps during weekends and other off-hours.

A modern, centralized fitness center will also open up countless possibilities for the wellness department and the school’s many sports teams, and, in doing so, will help to ensure that future generations of Canton students remember who Scott was and what he stood for.

“I am touched by such a generous donation in the memory of Scott,” said CHS Principal Doug Dias. “The Canton High School community will benefit from this for a very long time.”

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