Electric-blue lights will shine bright in the night sky when honors come raining down on the Corner Canyon Chargers. Thanks to a generous donation, a Victory Light will be installed in the new bell tower atop Canyons’ new high school, which opens this fall.
“You will be able to see it from all parts of Draper,” said Principal Mary Bailey. “It’s going to be quite special.”
The Chargers’ Victory Light was paid for with a donation from the community. John Martindale, a member of the Corner Canyon School Community Council, whose children will attend the Draper school, provided the financial support through an account established by the now-deceased Martin Elston. Martindale was asked to ensure that the money was used to help people and make the world a better place.
Martindale learned of the school’s need for a donor at a Community Council meeting. He didn’t hesitate to support the effort.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” he said. He added that his family is excited to see the lights when they are turned on for the first time to note a Corner Canyon victory or achievement.
“Every time that light shines, our family, and the people of Draper will know of Marvin. He spent time in this community and as a homeowner in Big Cottonwood Canyon, paid taxes to our schools. We feel honored to bestow this memory and living legacy of a man who continues to live through the greenbacks that represent a life of hard work and frugal living,” Martindale says.
Bailey says that a plaque commemorating Elston’s support will be placed in the school’s rotunda.
The Victory Light will be set ablaze when the Chargers claim a victory, whether it be at the football stadium, in FBLA competitions or on the Sterling Scholar stage. The aim of the light is to unify the community behind the achievements of the school.
“The idea behind it,” says Bailey, “is that it serves as an announcement to the world that great things are happening at Corner Canyon.”
