Iowa lottery winners fund new high school football stadium

Brian and Mary Lohse of Iowa won a $202 million Powerball jackpot in September 2012. / CBS/KCCI

DES MOINES, Iowa 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.

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"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.

[KPeters_from_UK]

How about 3 million to build a better library and supply laptops to all students? What about learning?

[ballwyllo]

How about the donars get to decide what to fund. I am sure that the tax dollars they are also paying can be decided by the community, but their private donation should not be up for community vote!

[cattiej]

Psint it pink...how juvenile...building is one thing but the upkeep will be thousands of dollars...so get ready to break out another thousand each month for utilities, payroll, etc. etc.
I'm from Iowa and I think some of the people living in Iowa now, are really are making hooch with the Iowa corn....
All this does is preach to kids that money is the most important and you can get anything you want with money....of course that doesn't include a Brain...stupid is as stupid does.

[fantod-2009]

Why is it always uninspired, short-sighted, half-wits who win the lottery? It's your money and it's a free country, but, really, is this the best you can think of doing with 3 million dollars?

Pink lockers? Sounds like the kind of corn-headed thing a 10 year old would do.

"I got millions of dollars! What should I do with it? I know...blow it on a football stadium for my son! Yeah!"

Ugh.

[mannylarue]

Wonderful way to teach the kids the virtue of good sportsmanship. The only consolation is that they'll probably end up like most lottery winners: broke, pathetic and alone.

[oh2bpar2]

With all the issues facing our country and our education system...I guess you just can't fix stupid. Sad commentary.

[oh2bpar2]

With all the issues facing our country and our education system...I guess you just can't fix stupid. Sad commentary.

[endrepubs]

So now high schools are subject to commercial demands. Aren't these public institutions?

[hypnotoad72]

Gee, nothing less important like a demand for better grades from students?

Just painting it pink.

What a joke, which is what they want it all to be.

There is an old saying - if you have nothing positive to say, don't say it at all.

Actually, I'll say that with a catch - and that catch is my saying the following: The "benevolent" ones there should paint their faces pink. With sheer embarrassment for being such fickle and shallow individuals.

[js555554]

I'd be willing to bet you never gave a penny to any charity, but complain constantly because you feel someone or another owe you. For reasons no one besides you can can fathom.
Sad life being you I would imagine.

[cheapster512]

why pink? reminds me of the roman empire when rich benefactors built colisumems for the public to amusethemselves seems we have become the same and after the 3 nmillion the ntaxpayers pick up the upkeep cost

[bobnjersey]

[but the gift comes with a catch ... The facility visitor's locker must be painted pink]
----------------------------------------------------
what about the m&ms ... shouldn't they be removing the brown m&ms?

[micmac666]

And all opposing teams could install pink lighting in visitor's locker rooms to be used only when Bondurant school is visiting. Maybe pipe in some elevator music, too. Touche.

[hypnotoad72]

That's how it begins, but if Bouffant school started it, they shouldn't whine when people react by stooping down to their level...