CLCF officially cut the ribbon on its newly-renovated building at 970 Pontiac Avenue after giving the historic structure a nine-month facelift.
The nonprofit youth sports organization was able to raise $1.2 million in funds and used them to make a fully compliant ADA building, which will now feature new hallways, restrooms as well as a new walk-in area, gymnasium floor and bleachers. The additions added up to 1,800 square feet of space.
In a ceremony in the front parking lot of the building, the CLCF board welcomed a crowd of locals to gather for the ribbon cutting and featured speakers including CLCF President Frank Notarianni, fundraising director Steven Marocco, and other dignitaries including Mayor Ken Hopkins.
CLCF offers 14 youth sports and announced that it would be adding unified cross country as well. The program hosts over 3,000 local youth athletes and is made up entirely of volunteers.
Honoring the memory and vision of CLCF founder Leo Castiglioni was a driving force behind making this project possible.
“The children involved in CLCF learn life lessons such as the importance of both winning and losing. They develop healthy habits, form bonds, friendships and memories that last a lifetime. As president, I must acknowledge the work of our CLCF board members. They support the chairs in their sports, help resolve issues and uphold the vision that Mr. Castiglioni had when he founded CLCF in 1953,” said Notarianni.
The CLCF board also handed out citations and recognized some members past and present by naming the new amenities in their honor. The baseball field was officially renamed to honor longtime CLCF baseball coach Jim Malloy, while the gymnasium floor was named to honor Jaxon Marocco, a 22-month-old that passed away from Niemann-Pick disease and whose memorial foundation raises thousands of dollars toward local youth sports initiatives throughout the state.
Notarianni, along with the entire board at CLCF, were proud to show off their new facility and extend thanks to the volunteers that continue to spend countless hours each week helping others in the community.
“CLCF has thrived over the years because of our dedicated coaches, chairpersons and board members both current and past. To all those that have serviced CLCF, I extend my heartfelt thanks,” Notarianni said. “The children and their families return each season because they know the programs are run by people that care deeply about their sport and more importantly, the children.”
Some of the groups that donated funds toward the cause included the Champlin Foundation, Rossi Electric, the (Michael) Marocco Family, DelPrete Family Foundation, GerFloor USA, New England Laborer’s Union, A.A. Building Wrecking Company, D. Fiole Masonry, D’Ambra Construction, Narragansett Improvement Company and Lawn Beauticians. CLCF also received $50,000 from the City of Cranston American Rescue Plan Act Grant Fund.