Good afternoon!
Elyria Catholic High School announces the successful completion of its $1,000,000 fundraising campaign to replace the bleachers and press box in Dan Reaser Stadium. In January 2023, EC launched the Save Our Season fundraising initiative to secure funding for new bleachers, thus ensuring the safety and comfort of our students, athletes, and community members.
“The response from the EC community was historical. Nearly 300 individual donors contributed gifts at all levels, which bolstered lead gifts from the Elyria Catholic Dads’ Boosters, Elyria Knights of Columbus, the Cleveland Browns, the Kenneally Family, the Minnich Family, and the 2023 EC Gala. The school is proud to announce that with a $100,000 closing gift from The Dan and Mila Reaser Family Foundation, the project has been fully funded, raising over one million dollars. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dan and his family, as well as our incredible Elyria Catholic community for their unwavering support throughout this fundraising campaign,” said Annie Heidersbach, President of Elyria Catholic.
Dan Reaser added, “Mila, Danny, Shannon, and I feel blessed to be able to continue our
philanthropic efforts in Lorain County and, in particular, at Elyria Catholic, a school we all love. When we invested in the stadium several years ago to provide a new turf field and
scoreboard, we hoped it would lead to other folks stepping up to help make an impact
at EC, too. It's safe to say that has happened! We look forward to the new bleachers and press box, and can’t wait to see what’s next at EC. Thanks to the success of this upcoming project, the school has tremendous momentum right now!”
As the fundraising campaign concludes, we are thrilled to announce that we are naming the new press box in honor of Hal Minnich ’53, a long-time Dads’ Boosters Club president and proud Elyria Knights of Columbus member. Hal dedicated his life to the school, tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure that EC athletics thrived and flourished. His involvement in running the Dads’ Boosters for decades was nothing short of extraordinary, and through his steadfast dedication, he became a pillar upon which EC athletics now stands.
Construction began on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for August 23 to commemorate this milestone achievement. The event will celebrate the completion of the bleacher project and honor the collective efforts of the EC community.
Elyria Catholic extends a heartfelt thank you to all the donors, supporters, and volunteers who contributed to the bleacher project. We look forward to unveiling the completed bleachers and inviting everyone to the upcoming ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 23.
All the best,
Annie Cunningham
Director of Communications & Marketing
annie.cunningham@elyriacatholic.com
440.230.8617
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