A bench dedicated in honor of coach Rob Ralph is now in place at Fountain Hills High School, alongside the track.

Nikki Lies led the money-raising effort that brought together Ralph’s fellow coaches, the athletes he taught and the community in order to create a special location in honor of the track and field coach. The bench was put in place on May 20, attended by many of the folks Ralph got to know and work with over the years.

Ralph’s wife, Cyndi, shared with The Times a message from her and her son.

“My son, Brant, and I so appreciate the generosity of the Fountain Hills High School track team, led by Nick Goodman, and the Fountain Hills community for donating funds to purchase the beautiful memorial bench installed on the high school throwing field,” Cyndi said. “We know that Coach Rob would feel so humbled and honored by this special remembrance. Since Rob is interred in rural Iowa, having a memorial so close to home is particularly meaningful to us. A special thanks to Nikki Lies, who led the project from fundraising through installation.

“One of the wonderful aspects about this memorial bench is that not only will it honor Coach Rob, but it is also a very practical addition which will be well-used by the athletes.”

Ralph coached track and field throwing events for FHHS from 2018 until his untimely passing last September. During the fundraising, Lies said she was eager to see the community come together and fund the special honor.

“This kind and giving man generously donated his time to the FHHS track program, especially the throwing events, where many of the athletes went to state and succeeded in taking home medals,” Lies said.

“Coach Rob was incredibly patient with the athletes,” current track coach Nick Goodman added. “He was always the first to show up to practice and the last to leave, making sure that the athletes’ needs were first. He was very methodical in his approach to teaching the skills of throwing the shot put, discus and javelin. He was not a coach that yelled at the athletes, but spoke quietly and kindly. The athletes trusted him and knew that he had their best interest as a priority.”

Now, with the bench in place, Falcons for years to come will know about Coach Rob and his legacy at FHHS.