UM Athletics secures one million dollar donation
4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
A Missoula-area foundation has agreed to donate $1 million to The University of Montana Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. In recognition of this gift, UM will name the new east-side expansion project at Washington-Grizzly Stadium the "Majestic Plaza."
The donation will be made by the Feist (sounds like fry) Family Foundation during a 10-year period. A statement released by the charitable organization said, "This is a unique opportunity to assist UM Athletics as it moves forward. The department's mission is to work closely with these young men and women and enhance their academic and athletic skills. These funds will directly benefit student-athlete welfare needs that are deemed to be most critical by the athletics administration. We believe it's a good investment in a great product.
"We are so proud to be associated with Grizzly Athletics and the many good things it stands for," the statement continued. "The department's success can be felt across the community, Western Montana and the entire state in general. We're pleased that we can help assist the program as it presses forward to make much-needed facility improvements to benefit these young men and women who represent us so well."
Successful investments by the foundation since 2002 allowed it to make the major gift. Other previously approved commitments already being supported by the foundation, such as charitable donations, will not be affected.
When the stadium expansion is completed in mid-August, the new area will officially be referred to as "Majestic Plaza." It will consist of 1,500 reserved seats and 500 club-level seats -- 250 of which will have access to an indoor club called the Canyon Room, which sits atop the project. The remaining 250 club-level seat holders will have exclusive private access to the Hellgate Terrace, which surrounds the Canyon Room.
With the expansion, seating capacity of Washington-Grizzly Stadium will top 25,000.
"We are very thankful for the generosity of the Feist Family Foundation," said UM Athletics Director Jim O'Day. "This will give a jump-start to our efforts to raise the funds necessary to meet some critical areas of need within our department. We all appreciate this wonderful investment in the future of Grizzly Athletics."
The Feist Family Foundation's gift will be among the largest ever to UM Intercollegiate Athletics.
In the mid-1980s, Dennis and Phyllis Washington provided a $1 million gift to help build Washington-Grizzly Stadium. In 2001, another $1 million donation was given to the Montana athletic department by an anonymous donor to install SprinTurf in the stadium in honor of long-time Grizzly fan and Great Falls attorney John Hoyt, who passed away earlier that year. John and his wife, Vicki, also made a gift of more than $500,000 in 1999 to help finish the office complex for the UM athletics staff in the Adams Center.
UM Intercollegiate Athletics currently is planning a campaign to raise between $10 million to $20 million to address three major needs: creating an academic center/computer lab for student-athletes, along with more office space; a complete renovation of the Adams Center men's locker room, which houses football, men's basketball and the other men's Olympic sports; and building an indoor practice facility at UM's South Campus. The three projects would benefit the more than 300 student-athletes in the 14 intercollegiate sports offered by the University.
The donation will be made by the Feist (sounds like fry) Family Foundation during a 10-year period. A statement released by the charitable organization said, "This is a unique opportunity to assist UM Athletics as it moves forward. The department's mission is to work closely with these young men and women and enhance their academic and athletic skills. These funds will directly benefit student-athlete welfare needs that are deemed to be most critical by the athletics administration. We believe it's a good investment in a great product.
"We are so proud to be associated with Grizzly Athletics and the many good things it stands for," the statement continued. "The department's success can be felt across the community, Western Montana and the entire state in general. We're pleased that we can help assist the program as it presses forward to make much-needed facility improvements to benefit these young men and women who represent us so well."
Successful investments by the foundation since 2002 allowed it to make the major gift. Other previously approved commitments already being supported by the foundation, such as charitable donations, will not be affected.
When the stadium expansion is completed in mid-August, the new area will officially be referred to as "Majestic Plaza." It will consist of 1,500 reserved seats and 500 club-level seats -- 250 of which will have access to an indoor club called the Canyon Room, which sits atop the project. The remaining 250 club-level seat holders will have exclusive private access to the Hellgate Terrace, which surrounds the Canyon Room.
With the expansion, seating capacity of Washington-Grizzly Stadium will top 25,000.
"We are very thankful for the generosity of the Feist Family Foundation," said UM Athletics Director Jim O'Day. "This will give a jump-start to our efforts to raise the funds necessary to meet some critical areas of need within our department. We all appreciate this wonderful investment in the future of Grizzly Athletics."
The Feist Family Foundation's gift will be among the largest ever to UM Intercollegiate Athletics.
In the mid-1980s, Dennis and Phyllis Washington provided a $1 million gift to help build Washington-Grizzly Stadium. In 2001, another $1 million donation was given to the Montana athletic department by an anonymous donor to install SprinTurf in the stadium in honor of long-time Grizzly fan and Great Falls attorney John Hoyt, who passed away earlier that year. John and his wife, Vicki, also made a gift of more than $500,000 in 1999 to help finish the office complex for the UM athletics staff in the Adams Center.
UM Intercollegiate Athletics currently is planning a campaign to raise between $10 million to $20 million to address three major needs: creating an academic center/computer lab for student-athletes, along with more office space; a complete renovation of the Adams Center men's locker room, which houses football, men's basketball and the other men's Olympic sports; and building an indoor practice facility at UM's South Campus. The three projects would benefit the more than 300 student-athletes in the 14 intercollegiate sports offered by the University.
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