It was in a small Washington State coastal town on Willapa Bay called South Bend, the “oyster capital of the world,” that Ben B. Cheney was raised by his grandparents. As a young boy, Ben fell in love with the game of baseball and dreamed of playing professional sports. In Ben’s teenage years, South Bend High School did not have a baseball program, however, a Roman Catholic Priest named Father Victor Couverette helped fill that gap by organizing baseball teams for the young people in that region. It’s very possible that Father Couverette’s influence on young Ben planted the seeds of service and generosity that would lead him to support youth sports in his later years.
Driven and filled with enthusiasm for all life had to offer, Ben Cheney would not stay in South Bend past the age of 19. He moved to Tacoma, attended business school, worked for a lumber company, started a lumber company, and became incredibly successful in his field. Eventually he became a stockholder and board member for the San Francisco Giants, an absolute dream come true for the lifelong baseball fan. Through it all he continued to support youth sports, generously sponsoring countless Cheney Stud teams and players in regions where the Cheney Lumber Company operated.
Giving back to Ben Cheney’s hometown, and especially to projects that serve children and youth in that region, has been and remains an emphasis of the Ben B. Cheney Foundation. The Cheney Foundation and the South Bend School District, alone, have partnered together nearly 20 times to replace playground equipment, install a turf baseball field, replace bleachers, upgrade equipment for a weight room, and for other projects that ensure the young people of South Bend and nearby towns have access to recreation of all types, as well as quality sports facilities. Many of these improvements are also accessible to the public, allowing residents of all ages to enjoy them and focus on their own physical fitness and health.
On April 5, representatives from the Ben B. Cheney Foundation had the opportunity to travel to South Bend to see their high school baseball team host Tacoma’s own Charles Wright Academy. After the game, Board Members Brad Cheney, Carolyn Cheney and Henry Cheney had the pleasure of informing Jon Tienhara, Superintendent of the South Bend School District, that his organization would be the second community partner to receive a special Ben B. Cheney Foundation 50th Anniversary gift. This was the second (of eight) $50,000 gifts that will be distributed in 2025 in honor of founder Ben B. Cheney and five decades of service where the Cheney Lumber Company once operated. These gifts will be distributed to select long-term Foundation partners and new innovators in community service.
In South Bend there was no fanfare or speeches to be made, just a handshake, a photo, and a tribute to the commitment that the South Bend School District has shown in creating opportunities for children and youth. We look forward to the positive change the South Bend School District will continue to deliver for its community.
Jon Tienhaara