Edgemont School Foundation to Dedicate Gymnasium to Jim San Marco

Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) and Edgemont School District have announced that the community will dedicate one of the district’s junior/senior gymnasiums in honor of Jim San Marco on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 7:30 pm. San Marco served Edgemont’s youth as a physical education teacher, athletic director, coach and mentor for 44 years.

ESF will fund a grant to the school district to renovate the Jim San Marco Gymnasium into a state- of-the-art teaching and learning facility, update the team meeting room with modern equipment and technology, and host an annual interscholastic tennis and/or soccer tournament in San Marco's name. The gym was originally built in the 1950’s. “New equipment will include elements that promote challenge by choice, and developmentally appropriate activities” said Ray Pappalardi, Edgemont Athletic Director, “it will be uniquely designed to stimulate learning through physical as well as mental challenges.” The upgraded space will benefit all students and the Physical Education department and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2013.

Jim San Marco helped shape the lives of many Edgemont youth. Since his impact was so strong and alumni and friends are so fiercely loyal to Jim, Edgemont School Foundation has already received pledges in honor of Jim from a small group of Edgemont alumni in excess of $200,000. In an effort to foster this momentum, ESF announced a challenge: John A. Griffin, an Edgemont alumnus coached by Jim, has agreed to match additional donations dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.

“I feel strongly that my life has been blessed as a result of the relationships I developed with teachers, parents, coaches, administrators, and especially students,” says San Marco. “I always urged students to ‘be the best you can be’ and, based on their successes, they have done just that. Perhaps in some small way, I have helped them to become better people and contributors to society.” San Marco adds “each day I realize more and more just how wonderful a life I have been fortunate to live. I now know how Lou Gehrig once felt when he said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”