07-05-2025
Cafaro Foundation donates millions toward YSU Kilcawley Center renovation
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The Cafaro Foundation has jumped to the top of a growing donor list Thursday with a $3 million donation to the Kilcawley Centered on the Future campaign.
Kilcawley Center closed Monday, just after graduation weekend, for the start of renovations, which are expected to take more than two years to complete. Some updates include a new black-box theater, a revamped Chestnut Room for large gatherings, flexible meeting rooms, a new dining area, and indoor and outdoor areas.
The project is anticipated to come with a $50 million price tag, covered by loans and aided by donations that keep coming.
This donation puts the Cafaro family into YSU's highest notable giving society, the Penguin Pinnacle, which accounts for contributions to the university from donors of $5 million or greater.
'We are thankful and deeply grateful for the Cafaro family's continued support of our university,' said YSU President Bill Johnson. 'This gift reflects their dedication to YSU's student community and further acknowledges their belief in the critical role YSU plays in the social, cultural, and economic vitality of our region.'
The Cafaros' support for YSU dates to the 1960s. William M. Cafaro was a key advocate for Youngstown University becoming a state public university in 1968. He also was one of the founders and one of the first board members of the YSU Foundation.
Other significant contributors include former university president Jim Tressel and his wife Ellen, alumnus Dr. George Young, The Hynes Finnegan Foundations, Board of Trustees member Joe Kerola and his wife Pam, The John S. and Doris M. Andrews Memorial Fund, and more.
YSU's website includes a breakdown of the project, a timeline of what will be closed when and where offices have been relocated.
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