Nearly 300 donors contributed $1 million to a fundraising campaign to improve Dan Reaser Stadium at Elyria Catholic High School in Elyria.
In January 2023, EC launched the Save our Season fundraising initiative to secure funds for new bleachers in order to ensure the safety and comfort of students, athletes and community members using the stadium.
(See photo gallery above.)
“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 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 $1 million,” said Annie Heidersbach, EC president. “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.”
“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.” Said Dan Reaser. “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.”
The new press box will be named in honor of Hal Minnich, EC class of 1953 and a longtime Dads’ Booster Club president. Minnich also was an Elyria Knights of Columbus member who dedicated his life to the school, working behind the scenes to ensure that EC athletics thrived. School officials credited him as a pillar for EC athletics.
Construction began on Jan 30. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 23 to celebrate completion of the bleacher project and to honor the collective efforts of the EC community.
The only coed Catholic high school in Lorain County, EC was founded in 1947. It was the first Lorain County school to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.
Learn more about Elyria Catholic High School here.