The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) has announced that Region 13 of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) has pledged $500,000 to help fund an upgrade of the John Muir High School athletic fields, expanding the fields’ availability for school and community use. The Pasadena Educational Foundation will receive the funds on behalf of PUSD.

Superintendent Edwin Diaz is encouraged by this latest expression of community support for PUSD and John Muir High School in particular. Diaz said, "I'd like to thank the AYSO for their generous donation to preserve the strength of Muir’s rich athletic traditions during the reinvention process. I am very pleased to see our community
organizations responding to the call for partnerships and resources to support Muir students’ educational and extracurricular needs."

"This gift represents Region 13’s commitment to assist PUSD in providing extracurricular activities to enrich the educational experiences of all students," said AYSO Commissioner Marco Quezada. "I am a firm believer that we have a responsibility to help maintain the facilities that we use and to help our young athletes continue playing while pursuing their education."

The Region 13 AYSO board voted to pledge the $500,000 to John Muir High School as part of an ongoing fundraising effort to develop local playing fields. This money was raised over the past several years through the generous donations of AYSO parents and players. In the past, these funds have been used by Region 13 for the installation of lights at Pasadena High School, John Muir High School and Washington Middle School; the construction of the snack bar at the Rose Bowl; and to renovate McKinley field for a total investment to date of approximately $1 million in PUSD facilities.

The PEF and PUSD anticipate that this gift will provide initial seed money for a District wide investment with matching community support to upgrade playing fields at all four high schools.