HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The college length, 28,000 square foot gym at the new Christian County High School has officially been named the Hopkinsville Rotary Arena in honor of their commitment to local students. Signage and graphics were unveiled during an onsite Rotary meeting on July 14.

“Partnership is a strong word, it means a lot especially in a community, especially in a school system,” said Christian County Public Schools Superintendent Chris Bentzel to the Hopkinsville Rotary Club during the first ever community group meeting at the new campus.

Blue hanging Rotary arena sign with Rotary International gear logo and 'WELCOME TO ROTARY ARENA' text
High school gym with a basketball court and a group of people standing together near the bleachers for an event.
Speaker in a blue polo addresses a seated audience at a conference, with a large presentation screen that reads Hopkinsville Rotary Arena and shows a gym image behind him.
Basketball court floor with a large circular team logo painted at center in black, white, blue, and orange colors.
Group of Rotarians posing for a photo in Hopkinsville Rotary Arena, with the Rotary wheel logo on the wall above them.
Group of people seated around circular tables in a bright, modern atrium during a welcome event for Rotary.

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Bentzel expressed his appreciation to members, saying that this naming honors the legacy and history of Rotary in Hopkinsville over the past 76 years, with the club continually supporting CCPS students through their annual auction and scholarships.

This past April during the auction, they donated $50,000 to the Christian County Public School Education Foundation, which is the first installment of a ten-year commitment that represents a $500,000 investment in student programing.

The gym has the capacity to sit around 3,000 people with a designated student section and two levels of seating. In addition to bleachers, there are 103 seats with backs, four of which will be permanently reserved for Rotary members.

Additional signage with the arena name is set to be installed on the outside of the arena in addition to the interior sign and video graphics on the jumbotron and media tables.

Ahead of the unveiling of the arena, Bentzel gave a brief update about construction progress as the school year approaches. As of July 14, he said furniture is still being assembled, and final touches are being done. However, he is confident that the school will be ready for the ribbon cutting on Aug. 6 and the first day of school on Aug. 19.

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