Cafaro Family donates $3 million for Kilcawley Center project

The Cafaro Family has joined the several contributors in Youngstown State University's "Kilcawley: Centered on the Future" campaign with one of the largest donations to it yet.

The Cafaro Family donated $3 million to the campaign, which aims to renovate and modernize the student center. Work on this project began Monday, May 5.

This donation put the Cafaro Family into the Penguin Pinnacle, which is YSU's largest giving society. The Penguin Pinnacle accounts for contributions to the university from donors of $5 million or greater.

This donation brings the Kilcawley Center campaign up to $32.5M of the total $57.2M needed for the project

The Cafaros have supported YSU since the 1960s with William M. Cafaro being a key advocate for the university becoming public in 1968. He was also one of the founders and among the first board members of the YSU Foundation.

William's son Anthony Sr. is also a former YSU Foundation board member and is currently a Trustee Emeritus of the Foundation. Anthony's wife Phyllis served on the campaign cabinet for the recently-completed YSU Centennial Capital Campaign.

John J. Cafaro and his wife Jan have also supported the university and their daughter Capri is a former YSU trustee and current YSU Foundation trustee.

YSU President Bill Johnson expressed his gratitude to the Cafaro Family's support of the university.

"This gift reflects their dedication to YSU's student community and further acknowledges their belief in the critical role YSU plays in the social, cultural and economic value of our region," Johnson said.