Ripon Area School District Announces Friends Of Public Education Award Winners
27 August 2018 News
Jim Gelhar and Pat Grahn are true friends of public education. Their family moved to Ripon in 2009 when their daughter Heidi entered eighth grade and their son Forest started fifth grade. Both children have since graduated and Jim and Pat continue to make significant contributions to the Ripon Area School District.
The first to contribute to the district was Biscuit, the family dog. Biscuit, a registered therapy dog and a Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.), traveled with Pat to volunteer over 150 hours a year at Murray Park Elementary School. Biscuit helped struggling readers until retiring several years ago at the age of 10.
Jim served as president and on the Board of Directors of Ripon Rotary Club. He became involved in the Rotary STRIVE (Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education) program mentoring at risk high school students, offering his company as a meeting and educational site, and providing scholarship funds to graduates.
Pat served on the Board of Directors and as president for the Ripon Education Foundation for several years. After leaving the Board, Pat continued to serve on the Great Conversations Fund Raising Committee and both their family and company continue to financially support the Foundation. As a member of the Ripon Historical Society, Pat worked diligently to help preserve the history of the Ripon Area School District. During the 2016 renovation, she developed an exhibit featuring items from each year a new high school was constructed in Ripon. Pat also assists with tours for elementary students learning about Ripon and Wisconsin’s proud history.
During Heidi’s freshman year in high school the idea of a new project based charter high school was introduced. Heidi became one of the first students to attend Lumen Charter High School. Pat served on the Governance Counsel for Lumen Charter High School for approximately six years.
Forest found a home in the district within the music program and in the auditorium. During the 2016 renovation of the middle and high schools, Jim’s company, the A.F. Gelhar, contributed funds towards a new sound system for the auditorium. Recently, Jim and Pat sponsored the purchase of new flags for the high school band noting contributions to the arts help children learn and develop their creativity.
Their family hosted six international students, three in the Ripon School District. Recently, Pat served on a committee establishing new district policies and practices for exchange students. For several years, Jim helped Rotary Inboard International Exchange Students assimilate into the school district and life in Ripon.
In 2010, the family took in a homeless high school student and for two years, worked closely with the School Liaison Officer to support the student. They helped support the purchase of a new K9 officer and endowed an unmet needs fund to support basic student needs through the Boys and Girls Club of the Tri-County Area.
The Ripon Area Public Schools are fortunate to have friends such as Jim Gelhar and Pat Grahn, who provide leadership and make personal connections as well as monetary donations. The Lumen motto is from William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” This exemplifies their family’s efforts to kindle a flame for the love of reading, global understanding, the arts, history, and continued learning.
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