NILES, Ohio – The Cafaro Foundation is donating $100,000 to Niles City Schools to help fund improvements at Stevens Park.
The project would create a full-size, artificial turf soccer field with bleachers, surrounded by an eight-lane running track. A recreational building would also be constructed to service both fields.
“This is a project that brings real value to the city of Niles,” Cafaro Foundation Trustee William A. Cafaro said. “It not only improves the facilities for youth sports, it helps to enhance the quality of life in the community. We at the Cafaro Foundation are happy to support it.”
The location for the soccer fields was created after the 2013 demolition of the former Washington Elementary School, 805 Hartzell Ave. Niles school officials are in the process of assembling the funding for the project and determining a timeline for construction.
“Our district has long envisioned providing a dedicated track and soccer facility for our students and the broader community,” Niles Superintendent Ann Marie Thigpen said. “This generous gift from the Cafaro Foundation represents a significant first step toward making that vision a reality. The enhancements to Stevens Park will foster school pride, expand opportunities for student-athletes and create a space that brings our community together. We are deeply grateful to the Cafaro Foundation for their support in helping move this project forward.”
The Cafaro Foundation is a charitable entity established by the Cafaro family in memory of William M. Cafaro, the founder of the real estate development and management company that bears his name. Since its inception in 1996, the Cafaro Foundation has awarded more than $28 million in grants to organizations and individuals.