Parks & Recreation Foundation Donation Made in Bob Toopes Memory

Pictured from left to right: 

Lee Tucker, Chair of the Parks & Recreation Foundation,

Ruth Toopes, Teri, Toopes, Dave Toopes

By Mike Musser,
Recreation Superintendant

Show Your Class.  These words touched so many students who passed through the halls of Gahanna-Jefferson Schools for many years.  They were the words of teacher, Bob Toopes.  Bob dedicated so much of his life towards the shaping of young student’s minds both in and out of the classroom.  That is one reason why his untimely death in 2009 was felt by so many.

On September 26, 2010, the family of Bob Toopes and the Gahanna Get Moving Team hosted the first Show Your Class 5K.  The event was put together to honor Bob as well as raise money for comfort stations and benches along the Big Walnut Trail in Gahanna.  Bob had joined the training group to achieve a personal goal of walking a half-marathon after a hip replacement.   He trained on the trail with his family and other community members and did achieve that goal in New Albany, Ohio.

Through the efforts of the family and the Get Moving Team, 248 participants walked the 3 mile route starting at Creekside Park.   In Bob’s honor $2,833.23 was raised for the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation.   On December 17, 2010, the family presented the check to the Parks & Recreation Foundation Chairperson, Lee Tucker.