By Harry Minium
Laura Glaubke participates in the Tacky Sweater 5K each winter in Norfolk to honor her husband, Andre, a Norfolk firefighter who died from cancer in late 2018.
She has used that platform, and fundraising involved, to help persuade Eastern Virginia Medical School's dermatology department to screen all Norfolk firefighters for melanoma. She is convinced that the melanoma that killed her husband was a result of environmental factors, such as burning chemicals, firefighters regularly face.
Debra Couch, a training consultant in Old Dominion University's human resources department, had a different idea. Her husband, Billy Couch, died unexpectedly, 30 days after Andre. Couch was also Laura Glaubke's brother.
Debra wanted a more lasting legacy for her husband and her sister's husband, and decided the names of Billy and Andre would live on at Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
Billy and Andre were diehard ODU football fans, so Debra purchased a brick in their honor that was laid on the stadium's west side entrance.
Will it be there forever? Who knows. But Foreman Field and its ornamental brick façade stood for 82 years before it was torn down in 2018, which is about as close to immortality as you'll find.
Regardless, it's a pretty cool way to pay homage to someone important in your life.
Which brings to the point of this column – it's not too late to purchase a brick to honor a loved one, your favorite game or a sweet memory for the 2020 season.
ODU sold 950 of the nearly 3,000 bricks available prior to last fall. Many more will be installed before next season. You have until Friday, Jan. 31, to purchase your brick. Simple red bricks go for $125, 4-by-8 granite bricks for $245 and 8-by-8 granite bricks with the ODU logo for $495. For details, go to www.ODUFootballBricks.com
Chris Schaefer, director of athletic development for the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation, said as long as the stadium stands, "the bricks will be there."
He was also amazed at the diversity of reasons why people purchased bricks.
"Alumni, staff, faculty, parents of former student athletes, anyone who has an association with ODU," he said. "Some have people whose lives they want to commemorate. People who passed away, people who got married at ODU. There are so many reasons."
I wandered over to Ballard Stadium last week to view the bricks in front of the entrance to the stadiums west side, and was enthralled with what I saw.[SC1]
Among the intriguing messages:
"A Lion Doesn't Concern Himself With the Opinion of a Sheep"
"We Found Love at ODU KJ +AM"
"Forever Grateful to Barry Kornblau"
"Jack Mani Sr Maury 1940 All State Guard"
"Our Mom Marion Foreman Field & ODU Fan 80 yrs +"
"Joseph Clendenin Ice Cream And Cake Cake Cake!
"Jesus Loves You Trust Him Lawton Baker Class of 1966"
My next door neighbor, Mary Ann Grogan, has a brick. She worked for Monarch Dining for years and is an ODU alum.
"Thanks For Your Dedication Mary Ann Grogan"
So did Brad Davis, who was ODU's placekicker when the Monarchs defeated Eastern Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl, the Monarchs' only bowl win to date.
"Brad Davis #20 Bahamas Bowl Kicker 2016."
Freshman quarterback Hayden Wolff bought a brick before he arrived on campus and his message will try your ability to read Roman numerals:
"Hayden Wolff ODU Football #11 IV XIII MMXVII"
The largest brick purchased so far was bought by President John R. Broderick and First Lady Kate Broderick and lists their three sons and dates of graduation from ODU.
"President & First Lady Broderick Broderick Matthew 2011 Ryan 2012 Aaron 2017"
Former ODU quarterback Blake LaRussa has a brick that pays homage to his best game ever, when he threw for 495 yards and four touchdowns in an improbable 49-35 upset of national ranked Virginia Tech in 2018.
His red brick reads: "QB Blake Larussa '18 ODU 49-VT35 495 PY-4 TD"
If that brick is still around in 100 years, fans may have to do some research to find out what it means. The point is, the brick will still be there for many generations. In a sense, the memories you commemorate there will live on.
Schaefer said all money raised from selling bricks goes to help fund the new S.B. Ballard Stadium. ODAF members receive priority points, which helps upgrade parking and tailgate locations.
ODU raised $157,000 from the sale of bricks in 2019.
"The people who bought those 950 bricks as a whole became the 11th largest donor to the football stadium," Schaefer said. "The community really rallied around the program.
"It was pretty substantial to have a collective group raise that much money."
And preserve memories for generations to come.
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu
Minium: Preserve an ODU Memory, or Honor a Loved One, By Putting a Message on a Brick at S.B. Ballard Stadium
