Bingham football: Ron Thorne Stadium

In early August, I interviewed Ron Thorne, who donated money to Bingham High School to help fund major improvements to the football stadium. I wrote an article about Thorne, and the facility, for Bingham's first program a few years ago. This year, I thought it needed to be updated. Here is the article that will appear in Bingham's 2012 football program.

Bingham’s crowning glory

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            Ron Thorne Stadium is more than just the football field for Bingham High School. These days, it’s a center point for the South Jordan community.
            The success of Bingham football helped create it. The facility, however, helped ensure it.
            “It really solidified the community,” said Thorne. “People have been coming here for years. I’ll go to games now and see people who used to play here, and now their kids are playing here.”
            Thorne said that – initially – Bingham had a “typical high school field.” However, in 1988, the football team’s booster organization followed a strong local trend that helped the school raise funds to add outdoor lights.
            “That allowed us to play our home games at night,” Thorne said. “More people could come to the games, too. Football became an event for much of the community.”
            In the mid-2000s, coach Dave Peck approached Thorne with a more ambitious upgrade. Bingham had just won its first state championship in 60 years and wanted to set itself apart from virtually every other school.
            They could also solve a multiple-use problem at the same time.
            “At first, I thought I would just be a minor sponsor,” Thorne said. “But I saw the need for what they were trying to do.”
            In 2008, Bingham became one of the first Utah high schools to install an artificial-playing surface, similar to the carpet at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The track was also new, but the crowning achievement was the scoreboard, still considered the best of any high school in Utah.
            Thorne, who had recently retired after owning a prominent construction company, was proud to donate most of the funds necessary for the project. He and his wife, Susan, continue to be big believers of Bingham. They have lived less than a mile from here since 1974. Their children attended the school and, when the boys played football, the Thornes were active in the booster club.
            These days, even after the kids have left, Thorne often dresses in Bingham colors – blue jeans and a blue shirt – and is seen at countless Bingham events.
            The 3,500-seat football facility now graces his name, and seeing that in big letters doesn’t bother him as much as it used to. The stadium was re-inaugurated Sept. 12, 2008 at halftime of Bingham’s 27-7 win over Jordan. It was the proud achievement as the school also celebrated its 100^th anniversary.
            “It was a little humbling … really,” he said. “All that notoriety is not my style. Now I can say I’m part of the program.”
            Success follows it, too, and so do the crowds. The people in South Jordan recognize it – and the Miners - as one of their crowning glories.