Grand Opening of the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium

Submitted by Alyssa Kiefer in Alumni News, RCS Athletics, RCS Highlights on November 29, 2018

Energy and joy filled the 20,520-square-foot facility at the grand opening of the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium at Redwood Christian Middle School and High School on Saturday. Furthermore, over 100 student and alumni athletes competed in the 40th Annual RCS Alumni Games.

Members of the public, city and elected officials, students, alumni, and their families were among over 500 people who heard speakers express their sincere thanks to the many contributors who helped to make the dream of building a home gymnasium a reality. Superintendent Al Hearne, Board Secretary Cathy Breslow, Superintendent Emeritus and gym namesake Bruce Johnson, and Athletic Director Jim Cleveland spoke.

All speakers credited community support in making the gymnasium a reality including many RCS alumni who used their professional skills to advise in the planning, construction, and finishing stages of the facility. Furthermore, Johnson gave heartfelt recognition for the support received since 1974 from 3Crosses Church and Redwood Chapel Community Church (both in Castro Valley) who opened their facilities for RCS to use. RCS is also very grateful for Castro Valley, Hayward, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro School Districts, Valley Christian School (Dublin), and Chabot Community College who have all shared their facilities for RCS athletic events.

“Today is a day 49 years in the making,” Hearne said. “A day RCS has longed for since its founding in 1970. We now have a home court for the Eagle Nation.”

The new facility seats 600 fans, provides team locker rooms, and features high definition scoreboards and a state-of-the-art sound system. The moving of the athletic department into the gymnasium will open a new space on campus and enable further construction, such as a 21st century science lab to enhance the academic programs.

The gymnasium was named after Redwood’s second superintendent, Bruce D. Johnson, by a unanimous vote of the Redwood Christian School Board. Johnson was honored for his 42 years of service to the school and was credited for the many roles he served in the school. “There was no job too big, no job too small,” Hearne stated.

Also honored on Saturday was the school’s founding superintendent, Gus Enderlin, whose vision of “high academic standards, exemplary fine arts, and competitive athletics” is still living on in the culture of Redwood Christian Schools.

RCS has over 700 students in grades TK to 12. While the gymnasium will be the most used facility on the campus in San Lorenzo, it will also be a facility shared by the community at large.
“We look forward to offering invitations to our neighbors to join in the excitement on campus and build a stronger local community with the opening of the gymnasium. We also look forward to being able to offer a state-of-the-art athletic facility to San Lorenzo and the surrounding area,” says Teresa Hendren, RCS Director of Marketing.

During the upcoming the winter season, the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium will serve middle school and high school basketball teams in the afternoons and evenings. The gymnasium will also host Crossover Youth Basketball games, and RCS looks to make more partnerships to welcome the community to its San Lorenzo campus.

Photo credit: Cathy Breslow

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