MERCED - The University of California, Merced, announces the
completion of one of the largest fundraising campaigns ever
undertaken in the Merced area. The campaign has now surpassed its
$1.365 million goal for expanding the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium
in the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center, which is
slated for completion this fall.
“The Gymnasium Expansion Campaign has been a success because so
many caring individuals and groups from our region have
participated,” said Ken Robbins, who has co-chaired the campaign
committee since its inception in 2004. “We have reached our goal
and decided to conclude the campaign. We now begin a new campaign
to raise funds for recreation and fitness equipment for the Joseph
Edward Gallo Center.”
University officials and the campaign committee thank the
community for their participation in the campaign. It is
anticipated that the new facility will help UC Merced’s student
recruitment and retention efforts by providing new, much-needed
space and equipment for students’ extracurricular activities and
fitness and wellness needs. The gymnasium will accommodate
basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports as well as musical
performances, distinguished speakers and campus and community events.
“The Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center will be
a tremendous benefit, not only to the Campus Recreation program,
but to all UC Merced students and the community,” said David
Dunham, the director of campus recreation. “Students will finally
have a place on campus to enjoy active free time with their
friends; it adds another important piece to the student experience
on campus. We are extremely grateful to everyone in the Merced
community that has made this project possible.”
“The recreation and wellness center is named for Joseph Edward
Gallo because of a $2 million donation from his family that
provided the initial funding for the facility,” said Ralph Temple,
the campaign committee’s other co-chair. “As it became clear that
UC Merced students would need a larger gymnasium to use, a
community committee made up of Sandee Boese, Mike Gallo, Billie
Razzari, Ken Robbins, Mike Salvadori and I came together with UC
Merced administrators to begin a fundraising campaign to expand the gymnasium.”
A $500,000 donation from Greg and Cathie Hostetler, owners of
Ranchwood Homes, kicked off the campaign in the summer of 2004. The
NCAA-regulation-sized basketball court in the Joseph Edward Gallo
Gymnasium will be named for the Hostetlers.
Nine other donors contributed $50,000 each to the campaign. Mike
and Jeanne Salvadori, Bob and Evie Ayers, the Donald Stewart
family, Courtesy Automotive Center, Carol Schrole, Prine
Construction, Inc., the Calvin Bright Foundation, the Peter Gallo
Memorial Foundation, and Bartlett Petroleum can all claim a major
stake in the new center’s mission to serve students, faculty and
staff at UC Merced as well as the surrounding communities.
For the final phase of the Gymnasium Expansion Campaign, members
of the community were encouraged to make donations of $1000 to name
individual bleacher seats. The bleacher seat portion of the
campaign has been an extraordinary success. To date, 283 seats have
been named by individuals, families and businesses from around the
region. These donors’ names will also be listed on a plaque near
the bleacher seats in the gymnasium.
Other donations ranging from $50 to $25,000 brought the campaign
to completion.
Bleacher seats will continue to be included in the new campaign
to equip the facility, and interested individuals may still name
one or more bleacher seats for $1000 each, naming them for
themselves, family members or friends. Nearly 250 more seats remain
to be named. This will be the primary means of raising funds for
recreation equipment for UC Merced students. Interested individuals
should contact Mike Campbell at UC Merced for more information
regarding contributions to the new campaign at (209) 724-4402 or
mcampbell@ucmerced.edu.
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