Don Christopher showed up to Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Christopher High School Sports Complex – a project that he shelled out more than $3 million to help finance – with a football in one hand and his 11-year-old grandson, Blake, right by his side.
Minutes before the event, the man who put the garlic in “Garlic Capital” with his world-renown Christopher Ranch brand was having some fun and throwing the old pigskin around with one of his 14 grandchildren.
“I’m very antsy. You just can’t help yourself,” admitted Christopher, proudly sporting a CHS Cougars black jacket for the occasion. “I’m trying to be calm. It’s a great thing.”
Plans to construct the new $5.3 million athletic facility on a 4.8-acre plot on the northeast side of the CHS campus have been in the works for more than a year. Phase I, which has an estimated $3.7 million cost – to be funded primarily by Christopher – includes a new synthetic-turf field and all-weather track, stadium lights, home bleachers for about 1,000 spectators, and an electronic scoreboard.
“It’s going to be a world class venue for a world class school,” said Don’s grandson Ken Christopher, who, along with Don’s son, Bill Christopher, worked with a committee to help design a brand new scoreboard.
Christopher Ranch donated $125,000 solely for the scoreboard. Gilroy Unified School District’s Board of Education also approved a $303,000 expenditure in December to complete the surfacing of the all-weather track as part of Phase I.
“We’re very excited,” said CHS Athletic Director Darren Yafai, whose Cougar football teams will no longer have to travel to nearby Gilroy High School to play their home games. “It’s going to be great for the school and great for the community.”
CHS Principal Patricia Jolly, one of several speakers that addressed the near 100 people in attendance, added: “This is going to be the largest classroom on campus.”
The project will officially get under way Feb. 3 with an expected completion date of Aug. 4, coincidentally Don Christopher’s 80th birthday. In addition to Christopher’s financial aid and the money approved by the district, the undertaking was made possible by the joint efforts of numerous volunteers. This includes the six CHS fathers comprising the Sports Complex Committee, the local philanthropic Gilroy Foundation, GUSD staff, the Board of Education and CHS staff and students.
“It was incredible,” said Don’s wife, Karen Christopher, summing up Tuesday’s ceremony that included golden shovels used to break ground, signifying the official beginning of construction. “All these people coming together with each group doing its part. None of us could do it without the other.”
Gazing out over the “uneven” and “rocky” surface – once a cow pasture and currently the practice field for the CHS football team – Master of Ceremonies Donna Pray and Executive Director of the Gilroy Foundation, could easily visualize the finished product.
“I look forward to sitting in those bleachers Aug. 4 for the opening ceremonies and for the first football game,” said Pray, passing the credit to the Don Christopher Sports Complex Committee members. “They were the driving force behind this thing.”
The six fathers of CHS football players pushed for steady progress through the various stages of fundraising efforts, preliminary architectural design plans, Department of the State Architect approval and construction bids necessary to fulfilling their shared vision.
“I think we all did truly believe that we’d get here today because we’re six dads who never take ‘no’ for an answer. We knew somehow, some day it was going to happen,” said George Sammut, whose son Anthony will be a senior next fall. “In our heads, we’re picturing our boys run out onto that field and under the lights.”
Sammut’s sentiments were shared by fellow committee members and football fathers Larry Sanford, Randy Moen, Jim Rhodes, Gerry Zimmerman and Russ Pacheco. The group put on CHS hard hats and each grabbed a golden shovel – along with Don and Karen Christopher – to dig up the first piece of ground.
“It’s a great day at Christopher High School,” proclaimed Sanford. “I can’t wait to see the lights. It’s hard to believe we’re only six months away.”
The committee raised $60,000 through its Legacy Club, which offers lifetime entrance to all home games and a family name engraving in the home-side bleachers. Memberships to the Legacy Club – which costs $2,000 per donor and is limited to the first 100 families – can still be purchased at dcsportscomplex.org.
CHS administration, staff and students also conducted the Exclusive Sports Complex fundraising campaign, an email-based effort that kicked off back in September and raised $20,000 for the project.
“It just goes to show that if you work together you can accomplish things,” said Mayor Don Gage. “This is something the whole community can be proud of.”
Phase II for the athletic complex, which includes visitor side bleachers, a press box and concession stands, is estimated to cost $1.6 million, although a timeline has yet to be determined.
