Photo By Scott Mitchener of HummingBird Productions
Hearing the good news , the six dads formed a steering committee to raise additional funds that would be needed to transform the dream of a bona fide sports field into a reality . After several months of meetings and presentations they faced an unexpected setback . The Gilroy Union School District ( GUSD ) board said it was unable to contribute or match Christopher ’ s pledge with district or Measure P funds to support the project .
The Christophers Weigh In
“ In early December we met with Don . We informed him that fundraising had been a challenge and we needed to pursue other avenues ,” Sanford said . “ When he asked what was needed to get the project started we told him it would take a million dollars . That day he committed to donate a million dollars . We left the meeting feeling ecstatic , knowing that the project could finally move forward .
“ Then Don called me the next day and said he changed his mind on the million – he wanted to donate two million dollars and he wanted to see real progress .”
The Don Christopher Sports Complex project was officially born .
According to Don and Karen Christopher , “ In the beginning we worked with the football dads . Larry Sanford was in charge of finances and George Sammut was instrumental in helping with the construction timeline .”
The six dads pushed for steady progress through the various stages of fundraising efforts , preliminary architectural design plans , Department of the State Architect review and approval , and the public bidding
process for development and construction . “ We ran it like a business , working closely with key stakeholders ,” Sanford said . “ By being good stewards of the project and showing our commitment to see things through , we gained Don and Karen ’ s trust and support .”
“ Along with the school board and the Christophers , we worked with Donna Pray at the Gilroy Foundation who managed disbursement of funds donated by the Christophers . Once our part was completed there was a smooth hand-off to the school district and its construction and facilities officials .”
According to Donna Pray , the Foundation received over four million dollars for its role in funding the Sports Complex , primarily from Don and Karen Christopher , and also from Don ’ s brother Art , his sons Bill and Rob , and Christopher Ranch .
W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 35