NANKIN — Just beyond Mapleton High School’s track a small memorial has quietly honored students the district has lost for decades.
Soon, the school hopes it can become something more.
Plans are underway to transform the space into a memorial garden where families, students and staff can remember members of the Mapleton community who died while attending or serving the district.
The redesigned area will include landscaped gardens, a flagpole, lighting and seating for a more private place for visitors.
The project began as an effort to honor teacher and track coach Josh Olin after his death in 2023. Over time, organizers realized it could become a tribute to every member of the Mapleton family whose legacy continues to be remembered.
“It’s bigger than Josh at this point, but that was the catalyst that started it,” Mapleton teacher and track coach Joe Ortiz said. “You get an opportunity to do something really nice and we hope that the community will come on board and help us do that.”
Memorial garden has evolved over several years
After Olin’s death, the Mapleton track team organized fundraisers to create a memorial plaque in cooperation with his wife. During the following year’s Josh Olin Night Invitational, the family was presented with the plaque while the school searched for the right permanent location.
Senior Hayden Kidney sketched a concept for redesigning the memorial area near the stadium. What began as a tribute for one teacher gradually expanded after families of former students expressed interest in helping improve the existing memorial.
Administrators, coaches and Olin’s family are now working together to bring the larger vision to life.
The redesigned space will incorporate the existing memorial while adding Olin’s plaque, landscaping and features designed to create a peaceful setting.
“We wanted to make sure that he was remembered,” Ortiz said. “He had a tremendous impact on all of us and that kind of life deserves to be honored.”
Creating a place for families
The current memorial sits near the school’s parking lot.
The redesigned garden is intended to provide more privacy through landscaping that will partially hide the passing traffic and parking lot. Organizers also hope to add benches where visitors can sit and reflect.
Ortiz said the goal is to create a space that honors not only Olin, but every student and staff member remembered there.
“Everyone has somebody that they’ve lost,” Ortiz said. “This is an opportunity to honor that.”
Community support goes the distance
Construction is expected to begin in phases. The plan is to install electrical service and a flagpole this fall before landscaping work begins next spring.
The school estimates the project will cost between $7,000 and $10,000. Donations have already reduced some of the cost. Community members have offered to donate materials like mulch, landscaping supplies and construction assistance.
“We have a lot of folks who can contribute services and supplies maybe more than they would financially,” Ortiz said. “Those are the things that will really help.”
Organizers hope to complete the memorial garden by next May’s Josh Olin Night Invitational, when Olin’s family returns to campus each year to celebrate his memory alongside the Mapleton track community.
People interested in donating can contact Mapleton Local Schools. Checks can be made payable to the Mapleton Stadium Fund and dropped off at the district office.
Before his death, Olin often shared a quote from his favorite book, Tuesdays with Morrie:
“Devote yourself to loving others. Devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
Ortiz said those words reflected how Olin lived. Mapleton honored Olin by putting this quote on his plaque.
“Nothing’s going to replace his loss,” Ortiz said. “But I really hope what we’re doing helps the Olin family know how much he meant to us.”
