Mr. and Mrs. Downing: The Positive Influence on The Fair Grove Community

Mr. and Mrs. Downing have been in service to the Fair Grove community for 20 years. 

Tonya Peck, Fair Grove High School counselor and coach, whom previously worked with Mrs. Downing, stated, “The Downing’s bleed purple. They have been, and continue to be, a steady and familiar face to the families of the community.” 

One of many running traditions started by Mr. and Mrs. Downing is “hat day”. “Originally it was ‘hats for the heart’ to raise funds for the American Heart Association, but we decided to make hat day a way to raise funds for families in need,” Mrs. Downing explained. This fundraiser is still used commonly today in order to raise money for people in need within the Fair Grove community and has steadily grown to include members of other nearby communities.

In addition to “hat day”, Mr. and Mrs. Downing began taking pictures of Kindergarten students with Santa (played by high school boys) as a means to raise money and exercise the holiday spirit, particularly for younger students. This tradition started over 20 years ago. Later on, they decided to include all students Pre-K through 12th grade, and used the proceeds as a fundraiser for families in need within the community. The Santa’s were then played by Jon Foster and Mike Yoeman, while Tonya Peck was Mrs. Claus, and the elves were played by Shelley Thornton and Amy Johnson. Students would pay $1 for a picture, and all proceeds raised were used for Christmas baskets. “We had to stop because of the pandemic but hopefully can continue at some point,” Mrs. Downing explained.

“The Downing’s have served the Fair Grove community and school district selflessly for years now. Whether that be track, volleyball, drivers ed, the book at ball games, or crosswalk duty. They are servant leaders. They’re not in it for any personal reward, it is all for the betterment of others… She (Mrs. Downing) is truly one in a million,” Haley Stallings, a former student of Mrs. Downing reported. 

To this day, Mrs. Downing is still involved in sports activities, functioning as a score keeper for girl’s volleyball. “I worked most closely with Nancy as she was my assistant in volleyball for many years and also coached middle school volleyball as well. She has been a wonderful mentor to me and a true friend,” Peck added. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Downing have been Fair Grove School crossing guards for two years. Mrs. Downing stated, “We want students and staff to start the day with a smile and end the day with a smile. We occasionally appear for duty in costumes to help those smiles along.”