The Castle Brick fundraiser aims to continue the work of the Roanoke Rapids High School Alumni & Friends Association in making improvements at their beloved alma mater.

Phil Hux, president of the association, said the deadline for purchase is December 20.

For $200, a heavy brick can be engraved in honor or memory of a person, alumni, team, or any other memorial a purchaser sees fit.

The bricks will be laid in mortar in front of the high school at the flagpole. There are 600 bricks available in the first installation and currently more than 100 have been sold. “They will make a great Christmas or graduation present,” Hux said.

(An order form can be downloaded at this link or those interested can call G.W. Hux & Company at 252-537-7770)

Those who have purchased bricks thus far have bought them to honor a teacher, a family of five girls who attended the school, a brick in honor of longtime RRHS supporter Gilbert Portela, and a church who is honoring a longtime member. The Quality Shop bought one to commemorate when it started business and several were purchased honoring the late David Newsom.

• Click to open image! Click to open image!
•  

“We wanted to do it a couple of years ago but we wanted to get all of the blind project out of the way,” he said, a project which is now completed, including having the plaques put on and the blinds placed.

The money raised by the association focuses solely on the high school. “It lets the school system use their money on other projects.”

Funds from the alumni association have already paid for new carpeting in the auditorium, new lighting in front of the school and the rewiring of the stage. The association has also bought a metal detector for the school. 

Heavy-duty mats were placed in all entrances of the high school with the original RRHS logo.

The work through fundraising thus far equals at least a quarter million dollars and there is more to do.

Much of the future work centers on the auditorium. “We are planning to replace the stage lights and the rigging with an estimate of $100,000,” Hux said. “To replace the front and back curtains and rigging is close to a quarter of a million because the new curtains will have to be flame retardant.”

Then there are plans to replace some of the balcony seats which have been there since the school was built.

For the association, it remains a love of the school that drives them to do the fundraising efforts. “Coach Cranford Hoyle said if you look up at the school there are lions representing bravery and being a leader. Owls on the front represent wisdom but that building represents class. You play like you’ve got class. You play like you went to Roanoke Rapids High School.”