The Sto-Rox School District received a boost Monday in the form of a $7,000 donation that will go to help maintain the synthetic turf on the Jr./Sr. High School Stadium.
The funds were donated by a group of district graduates who created a benefit golf outing to honor the memory of Rich Cercone, a former Sto-Rox teacher and baseball coach who died in 2021 at the age of 71.
This marked the third year the Rich Cercone Memorial Golf Outing was held, and 110 golfers participated in the scramble event Aug. 8 at Fox Run Golf Course in Beaver Falls, said Mike Cercone, Rich Cercone’s brother.
Mike Cercone said the first tournament raised $4,000 and the 2023 event generated $6,000. Next year’s event is scheduled to take place Aug. 9.
“We had a really good turnout this year,” said Mike Cercone. “It’s a fun event.”
Rich Cercone, a Bishop Canevin graduate, was a longtime teacher at Sto-Rox and coached the only Sto-Rox team to win a WPIAL baseball championship, which came in 1985. He later taught and coached baseball and golf at Montour and was an avid outdoorsman and golfer, his brother said.
Mike Cercone said he, his wife, Sharon, and a few friends wanted to do something to honor Rich Cercone’s memory and came up with the idea of golf tournament.
“We weren’t sure what the money should go to,” Mike Cercone said.
After giving it some thought, he and two others instrumental in helping obtain funds to install the synthetic turf at the high school stadium – Chuck Fusina and Pete Leone – decided to dedicate the funds to maintaining that new turf.
“We want to make sure the school (district) can maintain it, because it was quite an operation getting the field in,” said Mike Cercone, who was joined by Fusina and Leone at Monday’s ceremony. “It’s not as simple as cutting grass or pulling weeds or filling dirt holes. It takes special attention.”
Mike Cercone pointed out that it’s not just a field for the high school football team — it’s used by other teams, including the Little Vikings and the Pittsburgh Passion, and it’s also used for various community events.
District Superintendent Megan Van Fossan said the district is grateful for the donation and the impact it will have on not only the school’s student-athletes but on the district and the community as a whole.
“When Sto-Rox alumni step up and take the time and effort to help out the district, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Van Fossan said.
Mike Cercone said he, his sister, Linda Showlund, and his brother, David Cercone – a senior federal judge – were happy they could do something to honor their brother.
“We were very close,” Mike Cercone said of Rich. “I was the littler brother, and he really took care of me.”
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