My Fellow Clevelanders:
I am pleased to present this third annual report of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation (USSCLF), a nonprofit organization whose vision is to support positive civil-military relations by creating and maintaining a strong, meaningful, and direct bond between citizens of northeast Ohio and the crew of USS Cleveland (LCS 31).
Though anticipated to have been a quieter year between our ship’s keel laying in 2021 and christening earlier this year, 2022 proved to be a very active time for the Foundation. Among other activities, the USSCLF hosted two sister Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships for port visits to Cleveland in the spring and autumn; took the first cohort of STEAM Stars students to the shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin to witness the ongoing construction of the future USS Cleveland; visited the newly formed crew of Cleveland in Jacksonville, Florida for the first time; and presented the inaugural Cleveland Navy Ball at The Union Club to celebrate the U.S. Navy’s 247th birthday. Information on these events and other activities is featured in this report.
The Foundation also continued its efforts on Launching a Legacy, our inaugural campaign to raise $5,000,000.31 to support ongoing operations leading to the ship’s commissioning (now projected for spring 2025) and prepare for the future with the establishment of an endowment fund at The Cleveland Foundation. We are incredibly grateful to all of our generous donors – corporations, foundations, and individual philanthropists – for their early investments in this special civic initiative. As usual, the Greater Cleveland community is coming together around a cause larger than self, resulting in the Foundation already raising twothirds of its campaign goal. On behalf of our entire team, I express my sincere appreciation for the steadfast support you are providing as we do what no city has done before. Our mutual efforts are building strong and lasting ties between the people of Cleveland and the crew of the future USS Cleveland. We’re eager to continue this journey with you.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL D. DOVILLA
Chief Executive Officer
