It’s well known that DSHA has a great athletic program, winning four National Championships and 31 State Championships in the past ten years.
However, DSHA is currently lacking in the outdoor facilities needed to maintain such a high-level athletic program. Unlike most other schools, DSHA cannot host home games and tournaments for popular outdoor sports like softball, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and rugby. This means that these teams can not properly practice at DSHA and players must commute to other locations to practice.
To address these issues, the Forward in Faith campaign was created in hopes of improving both academic and athletic facilities. The scope of the project inside the DSHA building includes modernizing the science wing, renovating the library, and updating classrooms and bathrooms throughout DSHA. Outside, new sports fields will be built, and the softball field will be redone. Over 100 new parking spaces will also be added, and a gate will be built surrounding DSHA to ensure a safe environment. Additionally, money will go toward the DSHA Endowment Fund, which provides students with scholarships to help them attend DSHA.
Many Dashers may be wondering how much money the Forward in Faith Campaign is hoping to raise and what the timeline is for this project. Mr. Johnson from the Development Office was able to provide additional information, stating the goal for the entire project is approximately 20 million dollars to complete both the indoor and outdoor renovations. However, the process is broken into a few phases, and in order to move forward from where the project is currently, an additional 3.5 million dollars has to be raised. Four million dollars still need to be raised for phase two, and after that another four million dollars for phase three. Each phase will be completed during summer break, so as to not disrupt students. So far, money has gone toward the HVAC system installed in 2021 and updating the library. Although there is a significant amount of money that still needs to be raised, DSHA already has raised a large amount of funds. Thanks to many generous donors, ten million dollars have already been committed, with notable contributions from Dean and Marie Klinger, parents of beloved DSHA faculty member and alumna, Mrs. Leszczynski.
Donations fund this project, and we need fellow Dashers, alumni, and families to help make these renovations happen. To donate, you can visit dsha.info and find the Forward in Faith Campaign page or click on the link below.
https://www.dsha.info/support-dsha/forward-in-faith
