Record donation will make Nell Holcomb Elementary's dream track a reality

The nephew of Nell Holcomb Elementary School's namesake donated $100,000 to the school this week for the building of a walking/running track.

Dr. John Holcomb and his wife, Judy, presented Nell Holcomb School Board president Blake Tiemann with the check Tuesday evening after considering the gift for roughly a year.

"Our family has always been very interested and respectful of education. We've got an abiding interest in education," John Holcomb said.

"We felt like we should do something to emphasize our respect for the school and for honoring my aunt."

He said in the early stages, he asked the school district for a list of priorities he might be able to help fund, and a track was at the top of the list.

"That's been on my bucket list for some time, but it finally came to fruition," he said.

"And [a track] has been something that they've considered for a while now, but I didn't know that until about a year ago."

Superintendent Darryl Pannier said Thursday the gift is the largest individual donation the school ever has received.

"I went to school here growing up, and I've worked here now for 10 years, and this is the largest," he said. "Probably by a lot, although I couldn't tell you exactly."

He said with this donation, the school will be able to break ground in 2016, as soon as the students leave for the summer.

"We are so appreciative of the thoughtfulness of Dr. and Mrs. Holcomb and remembering Nell Holcomb School with this generous donation," he said. "We'll be able to put together and realize a dream of getting a walking and running track. We did some fundraising in the past, but we were never really able to get it off the ground. Now we can."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573)388-3627

Pertinent address:

6547 Highway 177, Cape Girardeau, Mo.