Harold Alfond Foundation to Provide $5.5 Million for Alfond Area, Memorial Gym Projects
Contact: Joe Carr (207) 581-3751
ORONO — The Harold Alfond Foundation will provide $5.5 million to support University of Maine efforts to renovate its two indoor sports competition facilities, Memorial Gymnasium and Harold Alfond Sports Arena.
“For decades, the Alfond name has been synonymous with generous support for the University of Maine,” says UMaine President Robert Kennedy. “This new gift builds on that legacy in ways that will have a meaningful impact on this university, its students and Black Bear sports fans for years to come. We are grateful to the Foundation for its generosity and long-standing commitment to supporting UMaine.”
“Our Foundation believes it is critical that the University’s facilities, which benefit so many students, be of the highest quality, and we are pleased that the University is taking the necessary steps to enhance both the Alfond Arena and the Memorial Gym and Field House with our help and the generous support of other donors,” says Greg Powell, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “Our commitment to these projects is driven by our excitement for UMaine athletics and our understanding that it is essential for the University and for our state to have a strong UMaine athletics program.”
The new gift includes a $2 million challenge grant to help UMaine finish fundraising for a $14 million renovation of its historic Memorial Gymnasium and Field House. The Foundation will provide $1 for every $2 raised from other sources in support of this project. When the challenge is met, fundraising for the project will be complete.
Plans include a renovated facility to serve as home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams, replacement of the indoor track, renovated athletics department office space, and other modifications.
The balance of the grant announced today, $3.5 million, will go toward a $4,850,000 renovation of Harold Alfond Sports Arena, home to UMaine’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. The basketball teams also will continue to play in Alfond Arena until Memorial Gym renovations are complete. UMaine has $300,000 in hand for this project, leaving a balance of $1,050,000 to raise to complete the renovation.
Upgrades will include a dehumidification system and a new ice making/chilling system that will help improve ice conditions, new seating in certain sections of the arena, an improved sound system, upgrades to the hockey dasher boards and glass, and other improvements.
“These facilities are vital to the future of Maine’s Division I sports program, and we are most thankful to the Harold Alfond Foundation for this generous gift and vote of confidence,” says Steve Abbott, UMaine’s interim athletic director. “Much of our program’s historical success is directly attributable to Harold Alfond, and we can all look forward to a bright future for Black Bear sports, thanks largely to the continued support of this iconic Maine family.”
Renovation work will begin at Alfond Arena later this fall, with projected completion next summer. The projected time frame for the Memorial Gym renovations is dependent upon additional fundraising, but an engineering design effort is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
Both grants count as part of Campaign Maine, a comprehensive fundraising campaign designed to address student, faculty, programmatic and renovation priorities. With today’s grants, Campaign Maine, scheduled to finish in December 2011, has raised in excess of $140 million toward its $150 million goal.