SpringfieldNewsSun.com

Springfield, Ohio — There may not be a North High School in a few months, but the school's gym floor will still squeak from the sneakers of area students for years.

On Tuesday, May 20, volunteers were busy cutting huge, square chunks out of the North High School gym floor and hauling them off to Kingdom Campus, 1027 W. High St.

It will eventually serve as a gym floor at the campus, owned by the Children's Rescue Center, Inc., a local organization that provides after-school activities for students throughout the city.

Nancy Lutz, a member of the organization, said their staff had recently purchased the campus and has had to make repairs to the facility's roof, heating and air-conditioning systems. However, the floor was a luxury they couldn't afford. It will allow area students to play basketball and volleyball for after-school programs, she said.

Originally, it seemed unlikely that the floor could be donated to the organization, but school officials went out of their way to help. She said after help from several individuals, the entire floor was purchased from the school for about $50.

"With everything they have going on, they really were very kind," Lutz said of school officials.

North and South High Schools are merging in the fall.

Marty Rastatter, who also helped with the move, said several volunteers took time off work to provide assistance. Years ago, his sons Pat and Doug played basketball for North High School on the same floor, and they were also on hand to help with the move Tuesday.

"They just seemed to show up when we needed them," Marty Rastatter said of the volunteers.

Volunteers were able to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for three days to remove the floor, he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.

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