Decorah Legacy Of Champions Monument

DECORAH LEGACY OF CHAMPIONS MONUMENT

The Legacy Of Champions Monument celebrates more than a century of Decorah High School football’s storied tradition (1903 - present). The Monument recognizes the numerous Conference, District, State Qualifiers and State Championships of the past, while also providing flexible space for future champions to be added. Target date for installation - Fall of 2024.

The monument project was launched as a grassroots effort in 2022 by the Legacy Of Champions Committee with the mission to highlight the amazing accomplishments of DHS football program by erecting a monument near the stadium. The committee retained Peter Troost Monument Company out of Chicago to help turn this vision into reality, and fundraising for the project was kicked off Fall of 2022.

The overall design of the monument is inspired by the famous 'Sverd i Fjell' (Swords In Rock) historical monument in Stavanger, Norway, tying the rich Norwegian heritage of the Decorah community into the project. This Sverd i Fjell monument commemorates the final victory of King Harald Fairhair in 872 uniting all of Norway under one crown. (see image below)

Drawing on the swords in rock theme, the Legacy Of Champions Monument consists of three main parts symbolizing Decorah High School's Tradition, Champions, & Legacy.

Each ‘tower’ stands 7' tall and 3’ wide with a granite body, pointed capstones and a recessed blue display boxes.  The Tradition tower will highlight the year of each Conference/District championship, State Playoff Qualifier and State Championship Runner-Up teams. The Champions tower will celebrate the unique accomplishment of each of the five state championship teams. Space will be left for future championships to be added to each of the pylon displays.  Donor recognition will also be displayed on this piece.  The Legacy tower is dedicated to all the coaches who have made an impact on the program with 10+ years of service.   

The final piece of the project is the Sword In Rock pedastal which will be placed in front of the tower monolith.  The pedestal features a bronze sword hilt - hand crafted by 1991 DHS graduate, Kelly Ludeking - emerging from the top of the pedestal capstone. Included on the front of the pedestal is a plaque dedicated to the Decorah Community. One can envision players and fans gripping the sword hilt on the way into the stadium to draw inspiration from past champions on a march toward victory.

Due to the generosity of donors to date, the project funding has successfully reached ‘The Red Zone'!

Production has already started on the project, yet donations are still needed for landscaping & lighting. 

Your help is still needed to get this project over the 'Goal Line!'

The following suggested donor levels have been established to allow anyone interested in giving to become a permanent part of the monument.

Viking: $250-$499 One Engraved Dedication Tag. 

Legacy: $500-$999 Two Engraved Tags. 

Champion: $1,000-$4,999 Two Engraved Tags & Recognition on a larger Plaque.

Legend: $5,000+ Two Engraved Tags, Recognition on a larger Plaque and an Exclusive, Personalized Memento.

Donation tags can be given in honor of parents, relatives, a player, a business, etc.

*Any and all contribution amounts are greatly appreciated and accepted :)

Anonymous donations can also be made.

If you would prefer an alternate way to donate to the project or have questions, please send inquiries to: d e c o r a h c h a m p i o n s @ g m a i l . c o m

Go Vikes!