Former San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff
Garcia has scored something other than a touchdown at his alma
mater: Gilroy High School
’s future sports facility will soon be named the Garcia-Elder
Sports Complex. Thanks to a $350,000 donation, the facility will be
named in honor of the Garcia family as well as the family of
Maurice “Red” Elder, Garcia’s grandfather, who was an employee of
the Gilroy Unified School District
for 30 years as a coach, athletic director and teacher at
GHS.
Former San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia has scored something other than a touchdown at his alma mater: Gilroy High School’s future sports facility will soon be named the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex. Thanks to a $350,000 donation, the facility will be named in honor of the Garcia family as well as the family of Maurice “Red” Elder, Garcia’s grandfather, who was an employee of the Gilroy Unified School District for 30 years as a coach, athletic director and teacher at GHS.
Garcia’s parents, Bob and Linda, both graduated from GHS, and Bob Garcia was a long-time successful football coach and athletic director at Gavilan College.
“We’ve experienced so many great memories in Gilroy on that field,” Jeff Garcia said earlier this week while spending the morning in San Jose for his mother’s birthday. “I wanted something that could be somewhat of a remembrance forever, and getting my grandfather involved in that way, to me, was important.”
Garcia, who was recently released by Cleveland, surprised his parents with the news Sunday night and his grandfather Monday afternoon.
“I thought it was real nice of Jeff to do that,” Elder said. “The family has gone through Gilroy High, and Jeff’s family has gone through Gilroy High. We have our stakes here, and this is an honor for our family to finish up this way.”
Garcia said he approached GUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz about two months ago with the proposal. The donation represents a quarter of the high school’s $1.4 million renovation of the athletic field and track, which will include a state-of-the-art synthetic surface that schools officials say is less expensive, easier to maintain, better looking and more durable than natural grass.
During a week off in November during the National Football League schedule, Garcia visited the high school and watched the team play on the current field.
“It’s understandable the wear and tear the grass field takes when so many teams are utilizing it and it never gets to rest,” he said. “Many programs are going to that all-weather turf. It has the longevity, and in the long run is a better investment.”
The new field and track surface are the first components of the high school’s envisioned sports complex that will be used by GHS, Gavilan College and the new Christopher High, slated to open in 2008. The facility might include a field house, storage area and office space and other amenities.
The district’s goal is to hold GHS’s June graduation on the new athletic field, then install the new track this summer.
