CenterPlex renamed in honor of SCF president
A surprise ceremony Thursday celebrated the renaming of the Salem CenterPlex in honor of long-serving Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti. During the ceremony a new sign proclaiming the CenterPlex as the “The John E. Tonti CenterPlex” was unveiled. (Photos by Morgan Ahart)
Shown from left are Salem Community Center Executive Director Heather Young, Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti, and Jerry Stitle. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)
A surprise ceremony Thursday celebrated the renaming of the Salem CenterPlex in honor of long-serving Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti. During the ceremony a new sign proclaiming the CenterPlex as the “The John E. Tonti CenterPlex” was unveiled. (Photos by Morgan Ahart)
Shown from left are Salem Community Center Executive Director Heather Young, Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti, and Jerry Stitle. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)
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SALEM -- The Salem CenterPlex has been renamed in honor of Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti.
During the Salem Community Foundation's 60th anniversary celebration June 10, Salem Community Center Foundation President Matthew Butts and Executive Director Heather Young surprised Tonti with the news that the CenterPlex would be renamed "The John E. Tonti CenterPlex" in honor of his more than 30 years of service to the Salem community as president of the community foundation.
On Thursday, Young, Butts and members of the community foundation as well as Tonti's family and friends collaborated to surprise him again with a ceremony celebrating the new name and unveiling the CenterPlex's new sign. Tonti's entire family traveled to Salem from Columbus, Toledo and Kansas without telling him to join in the celebration and surprise him.
Butts thanked everyone in attendance "for coming out to do something [Tonti] really doesn't like and surprise him." He said that the Community Center Foundation was "blessed and honored" to recognize his service to the Salem community with the new name. He also said that he hopes the children that will enter and benefit from the CenterPlex, will learn and benefit from his example of leadership and community service.
Young thanked Tonti for his and the community foundation's support not only of the CenterPlex but the entire community center campus. She also said that his leadership, kindness and legacy of service will forever be part of the community center and its legacy.
Tonti reflected on the history of the community center, which received $9.5 million in funding for its construction and remains the beneficiary of five of the foundation's funds. He said that when the foundation received the proposal he and the board knew it would benefit Salem residents, and "has been a fantastic thing that happened for Salem."
He said that while many of the people who were part of the project at its inception were no longer with us, that he knows they would be "awed and proud" of what the Salem Community Center and the entire campus has become. He said he was grateful for the honor and surprise ceremony and wanted to continue serving the community.
"It's just amazing what people think of this and the support they give. Not particularly myself, but the [community center] and everything we've been able to do through the community foundation. I hope we can continue to do it for many more years into the future," Tonti said.
Tonti has served as a guiding presence at the community foundation for more than 40 years, serving as treasurer from 1981-1986, vice president from 1986-1992, and as president for the last 34 years, all entirely unpaid.