The Purdue University athletic department has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise a portion of the costs for new LED lights at Mackey Arena.
As of Wednesday, Purdue has raised $21,765 toward its goal of $100,000. The entire project will cost $3.5 million, according to Purdue’s crowdfunding website.
Among the features in the proposed project, a new video board would be 50 percent larger and have eight times the number of pixels than the existing video board. There also would be a 700-foot LED “ribbon board” that would circle Mackey Arena and four “hustle boards” in the upper corners of the arena.
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Purdue says the new video board, ribbon board and hustle boards will help impress recruits when they make official and unofficial visits to West Lafayette, Ind., and will enhance the overall atmosphere during pregame and halftime of Boilermaker basketball games.
Purdue fans and alumni can make donations in 10 different levels ranging from $50 to $25,000. A donation of $200 or more gives fans membership into the John Purdue Club, the athletic department’s fundraising program. Those who are already John Purdue Club members will receive priority points for next year’s reseat with their donation.
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