Heritage High will honor one of its own in a ceremony on Dec. 11 to name the gymnasium after late basketball coach Curtis Bell.

Bell coached the Patriots for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1994. Bell, who died four years ago from diabetes complications, was the head coach at the J.P. Carr high school before integration and stayed on after integration at the J.P. Carr middle school until Heritage opened in 1976. During his basketball coaching career at Heritage, he averaged 16.5 wins a year. He also coached football, track and softball.

The Citizens Progressive Club proposed the idea to the Rockdale County Board of Education last December, which was unanimously approved.

Coach and Conyers city Councilman Cleveland Stroud, the club’s vice president, said “As a group, we’re trying to find ways to honor people who have made great contributions here in Rockdale County.” The club had recognized individuals within churches. “We wanted to do something different for Coach Bell because he reached a wider scope of people.”

The dedication ceremony will be held at 2 p.m., before Heritage’s basketball game that night, with a reception afterwards.

Bell’s name has already been painted into the basketball court floor, and a bronze plaque sculpted with his likeness and listing his accomplishments will also be placed on the wall at the entrance of the gym.

Also on the wall will be Bell’s pregame chant, “All for one, one for all, and all for Heritage High.”

Fundraising took about a year, but the club was able to collect more than $4,000 in contributions.

“We received donations from several people and also a few businesses. From people who played for him, teachers who taught with him, friends who grew up with him, and family members, people who played with him at Morris Brown,” said Stroud.

Stroud was a close friend of Bell's off the court, although they were technically rivals on the court when Rockdale and Heritage high schools played each other.

"Even though we were opponents on the floor, we never lost our friendship," said Stroud. He and Bell were among the first black coaches in Georgia's public schools after integration.