Yorks aid campaign for park

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Denise DeBartolo York, chairwoman of the DeBartolo Corp.

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John York, president of the DeBartolo Corp.

The park’s fund-raising effort has a $2.3 million goal.

STAFF REPORT

BOARDMAN — A couple heavily involved in the local community has donated $15,000 to the township park to aid in improvements and upkeep.

The contribution by Denise DeBartolo York, chairwoman of the DeBartolo Corp., and her husband, John York, president of the DeBartolo Corp., puts Boardman Park’s capital campaign one step closer to meeting its goal of $2.3 million.

The campaign would fund an expanded community center, restrooms at the Maag Outdoor Arts Theater, a wall-climbing course and other additions in line with the park’s master plan established nearly eight years ago.

Daniel Slagle, executive director of Boardman Park, said donations such as the Yorks’ make it possible to provide quality facilities for the community.

The donation “enables the park to continue to fulfill its mission: to provide a diversity of recreational and entertainment opportunities in an environment that lends itself to pleasant family experiences and preserve areas of natural habitat,” he said.

Slagle said the contribution will be used to facilitate the master plan, which calls for the continued development and improvement of the facilities of the park district, “for the benefit of all the citizens of Boardman.”

He said the Yorks’ $15,000 puts the fund’s total at $633,000 — about 28 percent of the campaign’s goal.

“John and Denise York are wonderful supporters of our community,” he said.

“They care deeply about and most generously support a diversity of community projects and organizations.”

Denise and John York are also co-owners of the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers.