Fitness center named for Pleasant Valley grad who was fatally shot in Parkland, Fla.

On Feb. 14, Pleasant Valley alumnus Chris Hixon ran toward the sound of gunfire as his students ran from it. Hixon, along with two other Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School coaches in Parkland, Florida, died while trying to protect students, faculty and staff from a lone gunman.

In honor of his sacrifice the Pleasant Valley School District voted Thursday evening to name the fitness center at the high school in memory of Hixon, a 1986 graduate of the school.

Pleasant Valley Middle School Principal Rocco Seiler, friend to Hixon and fellow classmate, addressed the board.

“Chris always remembered that he was a Bear, and he never forgot he was a Bear,” said Seiler. “And we want everybody to remember that even though he was far away, he was always a Bear.”

Pleasant Valley Superintendent David Piperato thanked Seiler for everything he has done to keep Hixon’s memory alive and asked the board to vote on the resolution.

The resolution passed unanimously.

Following the vote Seiler introduced Hixon’s sister, Natalie Hixon, a graduate of Pleasant Valley who also addressed the board.

“I know that to you this may seem like a small thing, but to our family this is really a something big,” she said.

“Chris has received a number of honors and last night’s ESPY Award was special. But this? This honor means the most.”

Hixon’s sister said that his name has been inscribed on a memorial wall at the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

Other recognition

On July 18 coaches, Scott Beigel, Aaron Feis and Hixon were honored as best coach/manager during the 2018 ESPY Awards.

In a video produced for the awards show, actress Connie Britton said the trio of coaches each had “their own strengths, their own skills and in their own ways each will never be forgotten.”

“Coach Hixon may have told you things you didn’t want to hear. Told you things you didn’t want to do, things you didn’t think you needed,” said former student Sara Tart. “But he was doing it for a purpose. He changed lives.”

“I think about him every day,” said junior Sarah Ochoa. “After something like this I know I would rather talk to him instead of a counselor. But I can’t talk to him anymore. So it just sucks.”

Fellow Stoneman Douglas coach Elliott Bonner accepted the award on behalf of the families of the fallen coaches. In his speech he called the tragic shooting, “not a political problem, but a human problem.”

“So one can only hope that the senseless tragedy at Stoneman Douglas is going to lead to something everybody wants: more dialogue, a deeper understanding among students, educators and parents and officials and ultimately a solution for safer schools all across America.”