San Jose Gets Biggest Anonymous Gift in History

$4 million for soccer facility in Almaden Valley

The city of San Jose received the largest private donation in history from a mysterious someone trying to support soccer in the Almaden Valley.

The $4 million dollar donation, combined with a $3.1 million dollar commitment from the city of San Jose will replace the existing grass field at Allen at Steinbeck Elementary School with two full-sized artificial turf fields with lights and bathrooms.


“This is huge for us,” said Karen Potts of the Alamaden Valley Youth Soccer League. Potts typically has the unenviable task of finding enough fields for the leagues 2,000 players.

“This will mean being able to play after dark in the winter and year round,” she said.

Almaden Valley Youth Soccer Leagues serve the youngest players still learning the rules and building their skills, disabled children, and the elite players like the 17-year-old team which just earned the right to play on the national level.


Councilwoman Nancy Pyle, whose district will benefit from the fields, would not name the donor, but promised he or she would be honored at the grand opening of the fields when they are completed sometime in 2013.

The city council voted to accept the gift Tuesday evening and tasked the city manager’s office with coming up with a plan to implement it.

“This is a gift-giving breakthrough,” said Council woman Nancy Pyle.
 

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