Billionaire Donates $10M To NJ Public School In Honor Of Teacher Mom

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Gym class has always been about exercise and wellness, not just sports. And with today's kids dealing with remote learning and lockdown drills, they need to nourish their body and mind.

Thanks to a $10 million gift from software billionaire Dave Duffield — the son of a former Ho-Ho-Kus elementary school teacher — a school there will get its own wellness center, which will include a new gym and space for activities like yoga.

On Friday, officials and residents attended a groundbreaking at Ho-Ho-Kus Elementary School, where the proposed Duffield Hall will replace an older gym.

Duffield, who is a 1954 graduate of the Ho-Ho-Kus School (and later, Ridgewood High School), donated the money for the new building in honor of his mother, Mary Duffield, who was a beloved fourth-grade teacher there for decades.

The gymnasium is being constructed for, and dedicated to, the students in honor of Duffield’s parents, Albert and Mary Duffield.

The celebratory event included performances by the Pep Band and numerous speakers. An introduction was made by Ho-Ho-Kus superintendent Diane Mardy and Board of Education President Mary Ellen Nye.

Remarks were also made by representatives of the Duffield organization, LAN Associates, Donnelly Construction, Ho-Ho-Kus Public School Principal Martha Walsh, and Student VIP Elaine Andrews.

“Al and Mary were long-time residents of Ho-Ho-Kus and exceptional parents for their two sons, Dave and Al Duffield, Jr., both proud graduates of Ho-Ho-Kus Public,” said Dolson Smith, a childhood friend of Dave Duffield. “Al and Mary were loved and highly active in the Ho-Ho-Kus community, Mary as an adored 4th-grade teacher for many years, and Al as Board of Education President. Al also coached little league and Babe Ruth league baseball in town.”

The project seeks to "reinvent the athletic and wellness spaces in the district with an addition designed to improve both mental and physical health by focusing on the development of children. Besides a new gym and lockers, Duffield Hall will include a health classroom and space for dance, yoga, and mindfulness lessons.

"The existing gymnasium renovation will include a raised roof to allow more natural daylight into the space, while also providing enhanced recreation equipment such as interactive equipment."

The project is set to be completed in the summer of 2024 — 70 years after Duffield's graduation from the school.

Duffield has also donated to Ridgewood High School, from which he graduated in 1958. Read about that here.