Celebration of Life honors coach Kathy Grupe

On Saturday, Oct 15th, a Celebration of Life was held for a beloved member of HC’s community, Kathy Grupe. Known widely as “Coach Kathy”, the celebration honored Grupe and her fight with breast cancer. The girls’ volleyball team, whom Grupe worked with frequently, organized and planned the memorial.

Saturday featured a transformed gym with streamers, balloons, buffet tables, a volleyball net, posters, and pictures of Grupe. The team even wore matching pink shirts in commemoration.

A toast was held with Coach’s favorite drink, Ale 8, and an inspiring speech was given about who she was as a person and how important she was to everyone who knew her.

“She never focused on her sickness,” HC Senior Volleyball Player Emma Yarber said. “She was always focused on volleyball, because that was her passion, and she was a mother figure to everyone on the team.”

The senior volleyball players also read a poem that they dedicated to their Coach Kathy. The poem detailed Grupe’s personality and how it positively impacted the community around her.

“She taught me to appreciate the time we do have,” HC Senior Volleyball Player Darbie Music said. “You don’t really think about it. She was only ten years older than my mom and she taught me to be grateful for the people in my life.”

The volleyball team handed out balloons and led the way outside the gymnasium. A prayer was given before the crowd of people released their balloons into the night sky in Coach Kathy’s honor.

“You knew she cared about you,” Yarber said. “There was no doubt. Even if you barely talked to her, you knew she cared.”

Senior volleyball player Hallie Shelton, echoed the thoughts of many people that night.

“She was like our mother figure.”