The Cranston League for Cranston’s Future was named one of two Cranston nonprofits to  receive grants from the Champlin Foundation last week..

To the tune of $167,000,  this donation is the second the youth sports center has received from the Champlin Foundation for the construction of an addition to their existing building, the first being a donation of $179,000 which they received last year. Between these two donations and many others over the past year and a half, CLCF has now received $710,000 for the project, within spitting distance of their goal of $790,000 for the 1500 square foot addition and renovations of 1,200 square feet within the existing building.

Narragansett Council Boy Scouts of America based in Cranston received $70,00 for a new box truck.

Former CLCF President, now Fundraising Director Steven Marocco is so sure in fact that they will reach their goal, that he announced at a board meeting on December 5 that he will be adding a new item to their fundraising campaign, for the cost of assembly for a new basketball court.

Morocco has negotiated the donation from Duraflor Companies for new vinyl flooring. CLCF will be on the hook for the price on installation, which Marocco approximates will cost $150k, but all other expenses will be donated from the company.

“I met with one of the companies that put these floors in for colleges, and the olympics. It’s a billion dollar company that’s all over Europe, but they don’t have these synthetic floors in the US yet. They’re donating the basketball court. All that CLCF has to do is pay for the installation.”

The company in question is called Duraflor. In addition to the new synthetic floor, the court will receive metal stands, and a new scoreboard. The Marocco family intends to name the court after Jaxon Marocco, Steven’s grandson who died of Niemann-Pick disease.

The addition is expected to be complete by approximately December 15. Construction on the new basketball court will begin in March, after the end of the basketball season. Installation of the floor is expected to take two weeks.

Marocco says this never would have been possible without a groundswell of support from individuals and organizations too numerous to list. Even when factoring in folks from the community donating their labor in “in kind” donations, it comes out to $167,000.

“We have an exceptional community,” Morocco says.

More than 3600 children go through CLCF each year, with none turned away due to lack of funds. According to Marocco, everyone who works for CLCF does so on a volunteer basis. The board is composed in no small part of former coaches and athletes.

“The old people mixing with the new people, I think it’s just a perfect combination,” Morocco said. “You need the new ideas, and you need the steady hand of people with experience, and when you join them together you get CLCF.”

Anyone who wants to donate can contact Marocco at stevemarocco@yahoo.com.