Anthony N. Fusco Sr., a long-time financial supporter of Salesianum School, has announced a $10 million gift to upgrade the school’s athletics fields.
The creation of the Fusco Fields complex will improve the streetscape along Broom Street and feature a multi-tiered sports complex that replaces the existing patchwork of natural grass practice fields with turf fields for both practice and competition, a school release stated.
Once completed, athletes and spectators alike will access 250,000 square feet of turf fields via a pathway along the north edge of the campus in Wilmington. The project will increase spaces for practice, along with a new varsity baseball field, and additional spaces for football, lacrosse, and soccer games.
Tony Fusco and the Anthony & Catherine Fusco Charitable Foundation have a history of supporting financial aid, the Salesianum School endowment, and capital projects at the male high school, including the Fusco Athletic Center. The gift is his second eight-figure commitment to Salesianum; the first being a $10 million 2014 gift to the school’s endowment. This is the school’s fourth gift of $10 million or more in the last decade, making it one of only a handful of secondary schools in the nation to receive that level of support.
Salesianum School President, Dr. Thomas Kardish stated, “We are extraordinarily fortunate to have people like Tony who, more than just understanding the value of the education and experience we provide, also possess the willingness to make cornerstone gifts which allow us to build upon the school’s rich foundation and legacy. While I am excited about all of the possibilities that are open to us in terms of programming and schedule with Fusco Fields, I am hopeful that this announcement is also a moment to express our gratitude to Tony for all that he has done to build God’s Kingdom here at 18th & Broom Streets.”
With Fusco Fields and more efficient use of the school’s existing footprint, more teams will be able to practice simultaneously and reliably, no longer subject to the vagaries of weather or field conditions, a release stated.
Fusco stated, “I think Sallies does things the right way. I tell people all the time that I wish I had gone to Sallies. But for me, this is the next best thing: to make sure that other kids can go and that when they do, it’s an experience that gives them the tools to be who they are and be that well.”
Fusco’s real estate company that has developed two million square feet, Its latest project is The Grove, a mixed use development at the former College Square Shopping Center in Newark.
