Fundraising Friday: University of St. Thomas Secures $20M Gift Toward Arena Project

Welcome to Fundraising Friday: AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.

Phil Esten, director of athletics at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., announced Thursday a $20 million gift from alumni Joe and Pat Ryan toward construction of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. The gift is the latest in a fundraising campaign targeting the future home of Tommie hockey and basketball. In recognition of their commitment, the plaza directly in front of and to the east of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, will be named in honor of the Ryan family.

The Penn State University athletic department announced Thursday that it has received another seven-figure gift toward its $700 million Beaver Stadium renovation project. Frank and Jennifer Marzano donated $5 million and will have the new west sideline’s primary club named after them. With the Marzanos' donation, Penn State has now raised $65.25 million toward the renovation. According to On3, citing a university release, "The Marzano Club will offer a tremendous game day experience and will be a hub of campus and community activities on non-game days. This space will be one of the premier event spaces in all of Pennsylvania, filling a critical need for both the University community and the Centre Region."

Clovis Community College in Fresno, Calif., has received a major donation to boost its athletics programs. As reported by The San Joaquin Valley Sun, State Center Community College District announced recently that Clovis Community College has received a $500,000 donation from the Diamond Learning Center, an adult educational institution owned by Jami Hamel De La Cerda. In recognition of the gift, the to-be-constructed Clovis Community College Sports Complex will be named the ISE Diamond L.I.F.E. Sports Complex.

Total amount of these gifts:

$25,500,000