With excitement and gratitude, we announce a $1 million gift to the Together We Can: Elevate Highlanders Campaign from Highlander Grandparents Bill and Chris Bray.
The Brays’ extraordinary gift will name the Bray Family Field, a signature component of the new Multisport Athletic Facility & Field Renovation at the Lake Highland Athletic Complex. This leadership investment in Phase 2 of the Elevate Campaign will expand opportunities for hundreds of Highlander athletes by creating a lighted turf field where the LHAC’s grass field currently sits. The Bray Family Field will feature a durable, lined turf field with lights, providing Highlander athletes expanded field access, extended playing times, and a stable and safe field for practices and games.
Bill and Chris Bray were inspired to make this naming gift by the lives and examples of their own parents, Gladys & James Bray and Mary Jane & Ambrose Schwab. Bill and Chris were both raised in large families – each had eight siblings – in Covington, Kentucky. “Our parents did not have a lot, but they gave us a lot. They taught us to work hard, be disciplined, show respect, and be honest in all we do,” Chris and Bill shared. “With this gift, we can express our love and our gratitude for their lives of sacrifice, hard work, and integrity.”
Chris and Bill have worked to pass those same timeless values to their sons Scott and Chad and their five grandchildren.
Lake Highland recently welcomed three of the Brays’ grandchildren as new students. Harrison ‘28, Oliver ‘29, and Lilliana ‘32, along with their parents Scott and Heidi Bray, joined our Highlander family this summer. Chad and Emily Bray and their children Jade and Cody live in northern Kentucky. The Brays quickly recognized how Lake Highland’s mission and values aligned with those passed down in their own family. With their generosity, Bill and Chris saw they could honor their parents’ legacy as well as advance the school’s strategic priorities.
“We are deeply grateful to Chris and Bill Bray for their wonderfully generous gift naming the Bray Family Field at the Multisport Facility,” LHP President Jim McIntyre shared. “What a powerful statement for a family new to Lake Highland to enthusiastically invest in our ambitious Elevate vision. The Bray Family Field will be a place where valuable life lessons are learned and taught – lessons that empower competitors, dreamers, leaders, and champions.”
LHP Athletic Director Charmaine Schreiber echoed our gratitude for the profound impact the Brays’ philanthropy will have on Highlander athletes.
Adjacent to the Bray Family Field, the Multisport Athletic Facility will provide exceptional competition and training spaces to serve 690+ Highlander athletes on 54 teams across 17 sports. This 48,000 sq. ft facility features the Honor Gymnasium, Lawrence E. White Family Wrestling Center, and Davis Archery Range, along with an impressive array of support facilities, including a sports medicine center, multisport locker rooms, film room, golf simulator room, coaches’ offices, and hospitality suite.
We invite you to learn more about the Elevate Campaign and how you can make an impact. If you have questions or would like to discuss making a pledge or gift, please contact a member of our Advancement Team and we will gratefully assist.