HUBBARD, Ohio - It's been more than seven and a half years since Cody Pitts was murdered in downtown Hubbard, a case that still remains unsolved.

For those that new Cody, his loss has been immeasurable.

"Cody touched a ton of lives, had a large group of friends and a core group of guys that enjoyed being around him," Sam Bellino said.

That core group of guys including Sam Bellino are determined not to let Cody's unsolved murder just go away.

"We think that there was a lot of people that were around that night and we think there are people out there that have some information that could lead to some ground breaking evidence per say," Bellino said. "By pushing the story and really putting the pressure on and ramping up what we're trying to do here, hopefully that encourages somebody out there that has the information to speak up."

Tuesday night, the Cody A. Pitts Foundation donated $10,000 to the Hubbard Youth Coalition, a non-profit that is overseeing a 4-phase renovation of the old Roosevelt Elementary School building in Hubbard, turning it into a community center for area youth.

A prominent section near the weight room will be dedicated to Cody Pitts.

"Everyday somebody walks in there, a child walks in there, a family walks in there, they see his name and they're talking about it and the conversation continues and kids are asking their parents who was Cody Pitts, who is Cody Pitts and their parent has to explain that and the conversation is continuing and we think that is a big part of keeping that conversation and his story alive," Bellino said.

Bellino says ultimately they want justice for Cody, but will always continue to give back in the spirit of their best friend.

"I think we're just at the beginning of what we want to do until we ultimately find justice and even when that happens, we still want to be able to give back to the community," Bellino said. "Like I said earlier, he touched a lot of lives and so it's unfair to him, it's unfair to his family we're still asking questions, so that is why we're doing what we're doing."

The completed project is estimated to cost $236,000. It will be broken into four phases with construction beginning on phase 1 and 2 April of next year and then completed hopefully by Winter.

The preliminary plans include a weight room, multisport practice areas with and without turf, locker rooms and parent viewing area for practices.

Fundraising efforts are continuing for phases 3 and 4.

If you have any information in the Cody Pitts case, you are asked to call Hubbard police and ask for the detectives bureau.