Iowa lottery winners to fund new stadium if visitor's room is painted pink
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa couple who won a $202 million Powerball jackpot in September is donating $3 million to their son's high school for a new football stadium - but the gift comes with a catch.
The facility visitor's locker must be painted pink.
The Bondurant-Farrar school district accepted the $3 million donation from Brian and Mary Lohse on Monday, The Des Moines Register reported. The couple from the Des Moines suburb of Bondurant requested only that the new stadium be completed before the fall 2014 football season - their oldest son's senior year - and that the visiting team's locker room be painted pink.
"I was sort of half joking and half not, I suppose, but they said they'd do it," Mary Lohse said of her scheme, inspired by the University of Iowa visitor's locker room, which is also painted pink.
"It's supposed to put them in a certain soft frame of mind," Mary Lohse said. "It will certainly give all the players something to talk about."
The Lohse family has requested the stadium not be named for them. The Lohses' hope the stadium will be a community project and that local residents and groups will make other contributions.
Planning for the stadium has already begun. Local architects SVPA are handling the design. The stadium will include an academic wing and a fine arts auditorium.
"It not only gives us the opportunity to accelerate the stadium project, but to advance other plans for projects within the district as well," school board President Kristin Swift said.
The $3 million for the stadium will be released in three, $1 million increments.
The facility visitor's locker must be painted pink.
The Bondurant-Farrar school district accepted the $3 million donation from Brian and Mary Lohse on Monday, The Des Moines Register reported. The couple from the Des Moines suburb of Bondurant requested only that the new stadium be completed before the fall 2014 football season - their oldest son's senior year - and that the visiting team's locker room be painted pink.
"I was sort of half joking and half not, I suppose, but they said they'd do it," Mary Lohse said of her scheme, inspired by the University of Iowa visitor's locker room, which is also painted pink.
"It's supposed to put them in a certain soft frame of mind," Mary Lohse said. "It will certainly give all the players something to talk about."
The Lohse family has requested the stadium not be named for them. The Lohses' hope the stadium will be a community project and that local residents and groups will make other contributions.
Planning for the stadium has already begun. Local architects SVPA are handling the design. The stadium will include an academic wing and a fine arts auditorium.
"It not only gives us the opportunity to accelerate the stadium project, but to advance other plans for projects within the district as well," school board President Kristin Swift said.
The $3 million for the stadium will be released in three, $1 million increments.
"The Lohse family has requested the stadium not be named for them."
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I love humble people.
Will Pink be singing the National Anthem?
 @RalphCramden "Lohse Family Humility Memorial Stadium"
I think it is wonderful that they want to have a Breast Cancer Awareness Locker Room
Speaking of Breast Awareness Month, I'll do whatever I can.
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http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/18/giving-breasts-squeeze-could-hinder-cancer-growth/?test=latestnews
I have pink boxers. Does that count?
They used to be red.
 @Kushfan tent city?
Those days are kinda blurry.
back in his 'Slope days, maybe
Not this decade.
I can see the player intro's now: "Now starting for the visiting Bulldogs- #79 at left guard, Seth Alexander, favorite color is teal and he is a pisces. He aspires to be an interior decorator in college. Â At wide receiver....." oh, you get it...
If the Chargers don't fire Norv & AJ, that's what they'll be doing next season.
 @Kushfan You've already started the countdown to the Friars' first game?
Not yet, we've got a pool going till black Monday.Â
I've got 12:00 noon.
@beernpizza  Thank you. This was the first time I actually laughed at a news story in a while.
 @WendyTeagarden I'm here to please.
Demanding a pink locker room? That sounds a little gay. (You decide what "that" refers to; the demand or the pink locker room. Enjoy.)
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 @That_One_Dude
"For decades, visiting football teams playing at Kinnick Stadium have dressed and showered in the pink locker room. The tradition was started by former Iowa coach Hayden Fry, a psychology major who said pink had a calming and passive effect on people."
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It's their money and they can demand whatever they want...call it a little slice of 'home cooking' (home field advantage).
 @That_One_Dude Do a little research on Hayden Fry and the University of Iowa visitors locker room.
$3 million to build a high school facility; that room would be pink.
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Actually because of limited space at my high school, the visiting team didnât have their own locker room they used the other gender team locker room (i.e the girls for boy's, boys' for girls).
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So it WAS pink.
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Now we know where to find Cubsnguns.
 @WendyTeagarden It'd be nice if he popped in here....he was always good for a snappy comment...
But which shade of pink????
Is there any shade other than 'Hot Pink'?
 @Kushfan fuscia!
 @WendyTeagarden you from back East or what....
@beernpizza fuscia-er
@Kushfan Yeah, it starts with a "t", ends with "tty" and has an "i" in the middleof it.
check your boxers
I'm gonna need another clue Vanna.
:-)