BROOKSVILLE — For Hernando parents Gene and Christina Tomashosky, there was no better way to honor the life of their daughter, Valentina, who died in a tragic accident at age 17 in 2021.
The couple gathered with friends and members of the Junior ROTC program at Central High School recently to dedicate their gift to the program: a 4,000-square-foot air rifle range made possible by the Tomashosky’s $1 million donation to the school.
Valentina, a decorated Navy JROTC lieutenant and student at the school, would be so happy, her parents believe.
“Being a cadet was a passion in her life,” her father said. “We couldn’t think of a better honor than this building built in her name.”
Tomashosky said he and his wife had spoken to the school and the JROTC commander some time ago about “doing something for the cadets,” and all came to agree that the shooting range was the ideal gesture.
Christian Cruz, JROTC commander, said the gift that made the range and field house possible was an “act of generosity” that goes beyond just the JROTC program.
“It’s a legacy of kindness to the whole community,” Cruz said. “It (the new building) will be space not only for us, but for school activities and a whole new world of possibilities for community events.”
For the cadets, the 20 firing lines and electronic scoring system means they now have a state-of-the art training facility of their own.
“We had been using shared space (setting up and breaking down a temporary range in the school cafeteria), and now we have space of our own,” Cruz said. “It’s a tremendous boost to the program.”
It’s expected the new range will go a long way to continuing the winning ways of the program’s air rifle shooting team, which is ranked one of the best in the country and has won numerous competitions against larger schools from Tampa, Gainesville and Jacksonville. In 2022 the team won its fifth consecutive state shooting title.
The competitions feature shooting from prone, standing and kneeling positions. The targets are set 10 meters away and the bullseye is just a half-millimeter in diameter.
The Navy JROTC program is a preparatory training program and a beginning step for students who aspire to become an officer in the U.S. Navy. It was a path Valentina was on until the fateful day when her car caught fire after hitting a power line downed by a storm. When she tried to escape the burning car, she stepped on the high voltage line.
The couple gathered with friends and members of the Junior ROTC program at Central High School recently to dedicate their gift to the program: a 4,000-square-foot air rifle range made possible by the Tomashosky’s $1 million donation to the school.
Valentina, a decorated Navy JROTC lieutenant and student at the school, would be so happy, her parents believe.
“Being a cadet was a passion in her life,” her father said. “We couldn’t think of a better honor than this building built in her name.”
Tomashosky said he and his wife had spoken to the school and the JROTC commander some time ago about “doing something for the cadets,” and all came to agree that the shooting range was the ideal gesture.
Christian Cruz, JROTC commander, said the gift that made the range and field house possible was an “act of generosity” that goes beyond just the JROTC program.
“It’s a legacy of kindness to the whole community,” Cruz said. “It (the new building) will be space not only for us, but for school activities and a whole new world of possibilities for community events.”
For the cadets, the 20 firing lines and electronic scoring system means they now have a state-of-the art training facility of their own.
“We had been using shared space (setting up and breaking down a temporary range in the school cafeteria), and now we have space of our own,” Cruz said. “It’s a tremendous boost to the program.”
It’s expected the new range will go a long way to continuing the winning ways of the program’s air rifle shooting team, which is ranked one of the best in the country and has won numerous competitions against larger schools from Tampa, Gainesville and Jacksonville. In 2022 the team won its fifth consecutive state shooting title.
The competitions feature shooting from prone, standing and kneeling positions. The targets are set 10 meters away and the bullseye is just a half-millimeter in diameter.
The Navy JROTC program is a preparatory training program and a beginning step for students who aspire to become an officer in the U.S. Navy. It was a path Valentina was on until the fateful day when her car caught fire after hitting a power line downed by a storm. When she tried to escape the burning car, she stepped on the high voltage line.
