Since April 4, local farmers and their crews have given their time to build Mary Buren Elementary School students a new playing field in time for the next school year.
Tommy Minetti with Betteravia Farms and Paul Silveira with Boavista Farms have donated hours, equipment, and expertise to the project.
“It feels great to give back to the community,” Silveira, whose sister is the school’s assistant principal, said in a press release.
So far, the crews have torn down and hauled away the old baseball backstop, finished a rough grade on the field, and prepared it for installation of an irrigation system. Tommy’s son, Kyle, an Ernest Righetti High School senior, laser-leveled the field as part of a community service project.
The Minettis have strong roots with the Guadalupe Union School District, according to the press release. Tommy—his sixth-grade teacher was Mary Buren, whom the school is named for—is the third generation of Minettis to attend the school.
District Superintendent Ed Cora said he believes that community outreach and helping those in need is in the bloodline of families like the Minettis and the Silveiras.
“It is because of individuals like Tommy Minetti and Paul Silveira and their companies making outstanding contributions that schools and districts like ours can provide students a safe playfield for them to enjoy and stay fit,” Cora said in the press release.
This article appears in May 7-14, 2015.