The Keokuk Chiefs baseball and softball teams have a new way to celebrate their victories — with the ringing of a freshly restored victory bell at Joyce Park. The project was a true community collaboration, led by Keokuk School Board President Clint Wray and brought to life with the skills and creativity of Keokuk High School welding students.
The new bell joins the original victory bell in front of Keokuk High School and will now sound after Chiefs’ baseball and softball wins, symbolizing both school pride and student craftsmanship.
Wray discovered the abandoned bell, which had fallen into disrepair and was destined for the scrap pile. Seeing its potential, he shared his vision to restore and repurpose it with Superintendent Dr. Kathy Dinger, Principal Nathan Harrison, and Activities Director Zach Summers — all of whom supported the idea as a fitting addition to the ball field.
KHS welding instructor Katie Geltz and her students took on the project, using the school’s CNC plasma cutter to design and fabricate custom baseball and softball artwork for the frame. Once the frame was completed and the bell polished, members of the KCSD Transportation and Grounds Department — Dave Grogan, Bryan Kies, Kevin Andrew, and Jade Haskins — prepared the site for installation.
Keokuk Ideal Ready Mix Manager Bill Cleesen donated the concrete for the pad, while Manic Illusions Customz finished the frame with a Keokuk Chiefs purple powder coat. Funding for the coating came courtesy of the Keokuk Athletic Boosters.
With official approval from the Joyce Commission and the City of Keokuk, the new bell now stands proudly at Joyce Park, ready to ring out future victories.
“The students and everyone involved knocked the project out of the park,” Wray said.