Field of Dreams
“ As a coach and a parent , I can ’ t thank those fathers enough . The Sports Complex is Christopher High ’ s biggest classroom . It offers something for all of our students and it ’ s a great source of school pride for them .”
Tim Pierleoni , Football Coach
The development of the Don Christopher Sports Complex is a story of vision , perseverance , generosity and community spirit – and six dads got the ball rolling .
No place to play , nowhere to run
In 2012 , parents , coaches and school officials were lamenting the state of the athletic field at Christopher High School ( CHS ). The soil was hardened with clay , grass was patchy , and the uneven surface was scattered with gopher holes . The terrain was unsafe for play , and game-day facilities such as restrooms , concession stands and seating were inadequate or lacking altogether .
It would take more than a quick-fix to serve the needs of the school ’ s sports teams , band members and students in Physical
Education classes , not to mention local community youth organizations .
CHS football and track & field teams had to travel to Gilroy High School ( GHS ) for practices and games . This not only added commute time to their after-school schedules but it deprived them , their families , and fellow students of having a “ home field experience ” on game days . It also placed added pressure on the GHS facility , which was already being used by its own teams as well as programs run by Gavilan College , Pop Warner Football , and youth soccer teams .
Dedicated Dads Team Up
During the summer of 2012 , things took a turn for the better . It all began at Christopher High School ’ s annual Midnight Madness event which kicks off the new football season . Among the attendees at the event barbecue was the school ’ s namesake and philanthropist Don Christopher . He got to talking with six dads whose sons were all sophomores and football players on the team .
According to one of the six dads , Larry Sanford , “ We started talking about what it would take to have a new football field by the time our boys were seniors . Don expressed his interest in seeing the field improved for the students , and encouraged us to look into the matter .”
Encouraged by Christopher ’ s interest , Randy Moen , Russ Pacheco , Jim Rhodes III , George Sammut , Larry Sanford and Gerold Zimmerman ( aka the six dads ) agreed to see what they could find out . Meanwhile , Christopher had spoken with school officials and decided to pledge a million dollars toward the much-needed sports field improvements .
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