Keeping school children cool: Carrier donates units to Dibrell
In years past, activities held in the gymnasium at Dibrell School – without air conditioning – during the month of May were, at best, uncomfortable, and at worst, miserable.
But no longer. Thanks to the donation of two state-of-the-art HVAC units from the local Carrier plant, anyone now inside the school’s gym for events such as kindergarten and eighth-grade graduations will be comfortable.
“I can’t say enough good things, I’m so glad,” said Dibrell principal Sherry Trotman.
Dibrell makes the third county school in the last two years to be a recipient of Carrier’s generosity. Last year, the gyms of both Centertown Elementary and Morrison Elementary received similar HVAC units after several concerned community members and School Board chairman Mike Holland, all Carrier employees, put in requests to the air conditioner maker.
Holland said the donations would not have been possible without the support of Carrier plant manager Dave McCarthy and purchasing manager Tom Clark. The donations, he added, go hand in hand with McCarthy’s philosophy of “continuos improvement.”
“In this case it was the improvement of the school, through higher quality air and quality of life,” Holland said, adding if not for the donations by Carrier, air conditioning in the gyms of county schools would not be possible given school budget constraints.
The HVAC donation at Dibrell is valued at approximately $50,000. Requests for additional HVAC donations have already been made to Carrier for Irving College Elementary, Bobby Ray Elementary and Warren County Middle School.