Today, April 22, 2019, Head of School Robert W. Hill III announced a significant new gift to the Williston Northampton school that he says will “add even more momentum to our school’s trajectory of success.” The gift, which comes from the Cain family, led by James E. Cain ’68 and the family of his late brother Daniel M. Cain ’64, is among the largest Williston has received, and will help the school achieve its highest priorities, including continued expansion of the Residential Quad.
The family’s extraordinary generosity reflects a connection to Williston that is multigenerational and deep: Dan and Jim both thrived at Williston, academically and athletically, before launching successful careers in finance, and later served as dedicated trustees of the school. They were soon followed by the family’s next generation—Daniel Decelles ’89, Jennifer Cain Cross ’89, and Amy Decelles Frosk ’92—each of whom made their own marks in the classroom and on the athletic fields. In recognition of this gift, the Board of Trustees has enthusiastically endorsed the naming of the athletic center as the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center, to honor the Cain family’s legacy of dedication and philanthropy to Williston. Raising four children as a young widow, Sabina Cain—Dan and Jim’s mother—was determined to see her children receive the education she knew would open doors of opportunity. “The standards she lived by and the examples she set encouraged her children to develop their own character and values,” notes a new plaque to be displayed in the center’s lobby. “These included a strong family bond and an appreciation for community and personal relationships.”
The building will be formally dedicated as the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center at a Reunion Weekend ceremony on Friday, June 7, 2019. “I am excited for the Williston Northampton community to come together and celebrate this exceptional gift,” said Hill. “The generosity of Sabina Cain’s family ensures that future Williston Northampton School students will have the opportunity to develop the personal character and values that she valued so highly.”