‘Forever Strong’ coach to speak in Pocatello

POCATELLO — Legendary coach Larry Gelwix — named the “winningest coach in America” — is coming to Pocatello in an event geared toward helping kids in the foster care system. Gelwix will deliver a keynote on Oct. 25 to benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

Gelwix started the Highland Rugby Team in 1976 and continued coaching until he retired in 2011. In that time, the team compiled a 418–10 record. It also won the national high school championship in 20 of the 27 years under his guidance. The Utah team was so successful, the movie “Forever Strong” was based on its experience.

Well-known for saying, “I don’t build championship teams, I build championship boys,” Gelwix will be sharing his strategies for achieving success in both business and life. Organizers say attendees will be “inspired and motivated” by the presentation.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit charity committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. More than 113,000 children are waiting to be adopted from foster care in the U.S. right now. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption “is racing against the clock to find permanent, loving homes for these young people before they age out of foster care,” according to its website.

“The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is committed to providing all children with the future they deserve,” Rita Soronen, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption president and CEO, said in a recent news release.

The in-person event will be held at the Mountain View Event Center, 567 Way to Grace Avenue, in Pocatello on Oct. 25, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Admission is $10. All proceeds will go toward the DTFA. For more information or to register for the event, click here.