Gift Will Benefit District Athletes Man Whose Sons Graduated From Mead Hs Bequeaths $100,000

Mead School District recently received a $100,000 gift to be used to help underprivileged high school athletes play sports.

George L. Dircks, a Mead resident for 22 years, died in 1997 and left a will that bequeathed $100,000 to the school district. Lifelong friend Michael Groh, trustee of the will, said Dircks and his wife Janet worked hard to keep their two sons Matthew and Michael in the Mead district because they knew they’d get a good education there.

The boys both graduated from Mead High School and now attend universities out of state.

“(George) saw his boys turn out pretty good, and he said if he ever came into a windfall of money, he’d give some to the district,” Groh said. Dircks received a large sum of money from a court settlement before he died, and decided to earmark it for needy athletes at Mead and Mt. Spokane high schools.

Access to the money will be determined by coaches, athletic directors, counselors, principals and assistant principals. Dollars could be used for anything from physicals and insurance premiums to javelins and jackets.

“There’s a huge need to supplement athletics,” said Mead High School athletic director Dick Cullen. “We have 18 varsity sports and get a very small contribution from the district to support that. We’re excited and touched by the Dircks family thinking of us.”