Palisadian John Huarte and his wife Eileen, in conjunction with Sound Body Sound Mind, provided funding for a state-of-the-art fitness center at Grant High in Van Nuys and attended the grand opening last Tuesday morning on campus at the school’s McKee Gym. John won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at the University of Notre Dame in 1964 and was a backup to Len Dawson when the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl IV in 1970. “Eileen and I had a wonderful time at the dedication ceremony,” said Huarte, who has lived in the Huntington Palisades since 1993. “The interesting addition that Grant High is doing is keeping the fitness room open after school and well into the evening. They would also like parents to make use of the facility. They now also have stadium lighting and are trying to help a neighborhood that is desperate to have a safe zone for students and their families.” Joining the Huartes at the ceremony were fellow Palisadians Bill and Cindy Simon, who established Sound Body Sound Mind in 1999–a comprehensive physical fitness program geared towards promoting self-confidence and healthy lifestyle choices among high school students in the greater Los Angeles area. In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Sound Body Sound Mind provides each participating high school with state of the art exercise equipment, funding for professional development and the necessary tools to monitor student progress at each facility. “The Simons are hoping that with my name and support we may be able to attract additional pro athletes to adopt schools,” added Huarte, who said he chose Grant High as a tribute to legendary Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian because the school has a high percentage of Armenian students. On hand to share the moment with Huarte and his wife were their three daughters, Mariah, Bridget and Monica and granddaughter Coco. Also in attendance were Grant Principal Linda Ibach and LAUSD physical education specialist Chad Fenwick. After three uneventful seasons in South Bend, Huarte earned the starting job and passed for 2,062 yards and 16 touchdowns his senior year, setting 12 school records and leading the Fighting Irish to a 9-1 record and the national championship in several polls. “Our only loss was in the last game at USC,” Huarte told the Palisadian-Post in 2005. “We were up 17-0 at halftime but they came back to beat us, 20-17.” But there were no losers, only winners at last Tuesday’s dedication.
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