Long-Time Fundraisers are Becoming the Game Changer in Sports
(Middlefield, OH) – As another sporting season is close to coming to an end, the athletes at Cardinal Schools have had a lot of support throughout their career as a Huskie. With support from Pat Preston and the truck raffle that the Athletic Boosters helped manage to the anonymous donors who don’t go unnoticed, to the long-running Domen/Marcu Foundation.
The Domen/Marcu Foundation was founded in 2000 when Steve Marcu and Doug Esenwine first began a fundraising campaign to help raise funds for the Middlefield Youth League, in memory of Steve’s father; Nick Marcu and Doug’s grandfather; Whitey Esenwine, both men who were active in establishing and developing the youth league. While Esenwine laid the foundation, it was Marcu who cared for the baseball and softball diamonds, located on Sperry Lane in Middlefield, Ohio. Nick and his wife, Nina would go on to use their own equipment to drag and keep up with the diamonds.
With a desire in her heart, Nina created the “Nina Marcu P.L.A.Y. Trust Fund which later became The Domen/Marcu Foundation where all proceeds go towards families in the Cardinal Local School District to help pay for extracurricular participation fees.
“Steve Marcu and Middlefield Recreation recognize there are a growing number of families whose budgets are stretched thin that there isn’t room for leisure activities,” said a previous committee member. “Though Cardinal Schools try to keep the costs of their programs at a minimum, there are still some families who cannot afford them. The Nina Marcu P.L.A.Y Trust Fund, now The Domen /Marcu Foundation, will hopefully help defray some of those expenses. However, the Cardinal supporters sometimes do rely on the hearts of the general public, and business community to help support it, either by direct donation or by participating in the annual Domen/Marcu Foundation golf outing. Donations are needed on a regular basis to build the fund up so Cardinal supporters can continue to provide service to those families throughout the Cardinal School District.”
The girls’ basketball team sporting their new warm-up gear purchased with funds donated by the Domen/Marcu Foundation.
As Steve and Tammy Marcu slowly handed over the fundraiser to Billy and Kim Domen to continue to help the future generation of Huskie athletes, other strong families and graduates of Cardinal Schools also proudly serve on the fundraising committee such as; Ron Doolittle and Brian Kaiser.
“What we have prided most is everyone giving – whether it is sponsoring a hole – or just coming out and having a good time at the golf outing,” said Kim Domen. “Everything we do benefits the kids. This foundation has helped buy warm ups, like tear away pants or basketballs, and kids that can’t afford to play are able to now play. Other things like equipment, shoes, etc.”
Along with The Domen/Marcu Foundation, the Huskies also have assistance from Pat Preston and the Preston Sports Raffle, along with other anonymous donors who graciously donate to help keep our athletes healthy with proper equipment and happy with sweet, new uniforms. In October, the athletic department had raised over $49,000 from the funds of the Preston Sports Raffle. Last year’s golf outing brought in over $10,000.
Every fourth Saturday in June, there is a golf outing located at Rolling Green Golf Course in Huntsburg. In years past, there have been approximately 28-30 people participating in the outing. There, teams or individuals can participate in party holes, skins, and other fun activities for golfers. For this upcoming year’s event, the board will be donating one million dollars for a hole-in-one, along with a new car.
A generous donation was given to both the boys and girls high school basketball teams, along with new softball tees that were purchased for Coach Adams and her team. Our Cardinal athletes are not the only ones who are benefiting from this fundraiser. A number of other schools have had donations given to them for purchases of new equipment and uniforms.
So as the academic school year comes to a close and high school athletics begin their run at postseason play, there are many pieces to the puzzle that make all things work together. Behind a small community that supports many students and their families, there is a lot of passion behind our fans on a Friday night or a packed auditorium for a Spring musical and it shows! But there is so much more that goes into play to get to the point where our athletes are now.
The Domen/Marcu Foundation is a foundation that firmly believes and pledges to assist children to be capable of participating in our community’s youth sports programs. It provides an opportunity to be engaged in extracurricular activities that could have a profound effect on our youth. The Domen/Marcu Foundation’s hope is to provide a solid foundation that encourages, strengthens, and empowers competitive athletes, for the future generations in our community’s youth athletics. The constant commitment and growth observed over the years gives the foundation complete faith and purpose that this is what they were meant to do.
Written By Haley Adams
