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History of the Castro Valley Sports Foundation
The Castro Valley Sports Foundation (CVSF) was founded in 2002 as a nonprofit corporation for the purpose of providing charitable assistance and support for sports and athletics in Castro Valley, including the sports programs of the Castro Valley Unified School District. The first immediate goal of the Foundation was to replace the half-century old football/track facility at Castro Valley High School with a new state-of-the-art football/track/soccer stadium. It soon became clear that the only way to finance such an ambitious project was to pass a bond issue. The School District Board of Trustees passed a resolution in August 2005 authorizing an election for a $44 million bond for a new stadium and other district-wide improvements. Measure B was then placed on the November 2005 ballot. The Sports Foundation vigorously campaigned for the measure and it passed. The result was a beautiful new 4,000-seat stadium, which opened in time for the 2007 football season.
In addition to campaigning for Measure B, the Castro Valley Sports Foundation donated $180,000 to the School District for an electronic marquee on Redwood Road outside the stadium entrance and a message board inside the stadium, both of which are now in place.
One regret that the Sports Foundation had was that the finances budgeted from the bond did not allow for the building of a new baseball/softball complex that was part of the original master plan at the high school. The Foundation is now exploring other means to raise money for that project.
In the meantime, the Castro Valley Sports Foundation pursues its stated mission "to continue on in perpetuity as a fund-raising vehicle for community groups and organizations active in supporting sports and athletics in Castro Valley." CVSF in 2007 donated $4,500 for the purchase of a batting cage for the CVHS baseball teams and in 2008 donated another $16,500 to the various interscholastic sports programs at Castro Valley High. The 17 grants ranged in value from $300 to $1500 and included all girls and boys programs. A storage container for track and field, an electronic scoreboard for wrestling, a pitching machine for girls' softball, a place clock for swimming, extra helmets for football and training equipment for soccer are just some of the items awarded. |
