Wakefield’s football stadium is home to championship games, pep rallies and various other school events, but its familiar brick entrance is also home to many legacy bricks. These bricks have been purchased by past Wakefield families, students and athletes to memorialize their time at Wakefield and to feature a student or team’s name with a year or symbol. Legacy bricks allow the Wakefield community to remember family members, support athletes and help fund Wakefield’s sports. These contributions are a great way to not only fund Wakefield athletics, but to also leave a lasting mark on the community; they are on sale now.
Proceeds from the “Buy a Brick” program go to Wakefield’s Booster Club, helping pay for the school’s athletic programs and gear. Chancey Wolfe, Wakefield’s athletics director, has seen firsthand how these bricks support Wakefield athletics.
“All of the money raised goes into the Wakefield Wolverine Athletic Booster Club,” Wolfe said. “We are able to utilize those funds to support the various needs within the athletic department.”
Another important coordinator in the “Buy a Brick” program, Nancy Tan, helps any student or family interested in purchasing a legacy brick and arranges for their delivery. Tan has also worked to involve Wakefield’s horticulture classes in the installation process after bricks have been delivered.
“If we have a larger number of bricks we sometimes include the horticulture class to come down and learn about hardscaping,” Tan said.
Jeswon Koledji, a Wakefield senior and dance team member, was excited when her mom ordered a brick to remember her time at Wakefield. She believes these legacy bricks give students a chance to truly capture and reflect on their time at Wakefield.
“Everyone has a [unique] experience at Wakefield,” Koledji said. I [ordered the brick] to remember my time here.”
For athletes, these bricks are a special way to cement their legacy and leave a permanent mark on their school; this is true for senior Katherine Pugh, a player on the softball team. The team has had a great season and with the purchase of a brick, that winning season can be remembered.
“My family bought me my legacy brick as a Christmas gift,” Pugh said. “They wanted me to remember how we are a history-making softball team.”
Legacy bricks help athletes remember triumphant seasons, provide hands-on learning experiences for Wakefield’s horticulture program and also help the Wakefield community memorialize those they have lost. When asked about a particularly memorable student who received a legacy brick, Wolfe mentions Tessa Jabaut, a Wakefield student who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year.
“Tessa was a huge part of our Wakefield athletic family and the entire Wakefield community,” Wolfe said. “To see her name every day when walking to the stadium is very special and it’s a way for us to never forget the mark she left on our athletic department and school.”
Whether memorializing a loved one or remembering a formative high school experience, legacy bricks are a beneficial way to support Wakefield’s continued pursuits of student enrichment and encourage others to do something memorable with their time at the school. Legacy bricks come in two sizes, range from $100 to $250 and can be ordered online.
“The next deadline to order is April 15 for installation in August for the fall season,” Tan said. “If you look at the Wolverine Club Instagram we have posted about a lot of our recent bricks with designs.”
