Post by dannynoonan on Jul 22, 2020 12:02:06 GMT -5
www.nj.com/hudson/2020/07/5-million-donation-kicks-off-overhaul-of-saint-peters-university-athletic-center.html
$5 million donation kicks off overhaul of Saint Peter’s University athletic center
Updated 11:35 AM; Today 11:35 AM
By Ron Zeitlinger | The Jersey Journal
JERSEY CITY — Saint Peter’s University’s athletic facility will undergo a major overhaul and the school will create an athletic Hall of Fame, university officials announced Wednesday.
The first phase of the makeover of the Yanitelli Recreational Life Center is made possible by a $5 million lead gift donation by alumnus Thomas P. Mac Mahon (Class of 1968), a member of the university’s board of trustees and retired chairman and chief executive officer of LabCorp.
“Tom has already made an indelible impact on the university through his extraordinary philanthropy in 2012, enabling us to break ground on the Mac Mahon Student Center,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “We are humbled by his continued belief in and support of Saint Peter’s. It is fitting that his legacy will now grow on the West Campus where he made his mark as a basketball player and member of the ‘Run Baby, Run’ team that reached the defeated Duke in the NIT quarterfinals more than 50 years ago.”
The first phase of the renovation includes the creation of a modern basketball/volleyball arena, with amenities like new retractable bleachers with an allotment of chairback seating, a new hardwood court, a re-imagined entryway to the facility, enhanced lighting and new video scoreboards.
Saint Peter’s Division 1 sports programs compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
School officials say the project, funded by restricted gifts, will have a profound impact on recruitment, community engagement, support for athletics and institutional pride. Construction is slated to begin this summer.
“This transformative upgrade to our shared volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball facility will provide our teams with the infrastructure they need to continue striving for athletics excellence within the (MAAC), while also providing a quality space for all of our students to participate in recreational gym activities,” said Rachelle Paul, director of athletics.
In celebration of the proud legacy of Peacocks’ basketball, Mac Mahon has made the decision to honor his former 1967-68 men’s basketball teammates and name the transformed space the “Run Baby Run Arena” — the nickname given to the team that stunned 11th-ranked Duke, 100-71. At the time, the National Invitational Tournament, not the NCAA Tournament, was the major college basketball postseason tournament.
“My relationship with Saint Peter’s has been one-sided in that it has done more for me than I could have ever imagined,” Mac Mahon said. “The foundation of my life was built on the streets of Jersey City, at the corner of Kennedy Boulevard and Montgomery Street. This project has been a longtime dream of mine and I am thrilled that it will soon come to fruition. I am also delighted that this gift will pay tribute to my teammates, celebrate our time together at Saint Peter’s and create a lasting legacy of basketball in the late 1960s.”
Mac Mahon, who served as chairman of the board of trustees from 2012 to 2018, has been cited by Forbes magazine (2004) and the Harvard Business Review (2010) as one of the best performing CEOs in the world. He was LabCorp’s chairman and chief executive officer from 1997 to 2006 and a director from 1996 to 2013.
The long-term master plan for Yanitelli Center will dramatically upgrade nearly every facet of the facility, officials said.
Short-term priorities beyond the arena project include the swimming pool, locker rooms and more. Subsequent phases will be announced as additional funding is secured.
The announcement comes as the university is building a new residence hall, physical and working on technological enhancements to the Frank J. Guarini School of Business and the addition of a Digital Research Commons in the Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library.
“While our gatherings and in-person interactions are currently limited due to coronavirus, COVID-19, we know that our community will be together again in the future,” said Leah Leto, vice president for advancement and external affairs at Saint Peter’s University. “... We are incredibly grateful to all donors who have contributed to the RLC transformation thus far and we hope that Tom’s generosity will inspire future gifts to help us see our longer-term vision come to fruition.”
$5 million donation kicks off overhaul of Saint Peter’s University athletic center
Updated 11:35 AM; Today 11:35 AM
By Ron Zeitlinger | The Jersey Journal
JERSEY CITY — Saint Peter’s University’s athletic facility will undergo a major overhaul and the school will create an athletic Hall of Fame, university officials announced Wednesday.
The first phase of the makeover of the Yanitelli Recreational Life Center is made possible by a $5 million lead gift donation by alumnus Thomas P. Mac Mahon (Class of 1968), a member of the university’s board of trustees and retired chairman and chief executive officer of LabCorp.
“Tom has already made an indelible impact on the university through his extraordinary philanthropy in 2012, enabling us to break ground on the Mac Mahon Student Center,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “We are humbled by his continued belief in and support of Saint Peter’s. It is fitting that his legacy will now grow on the West Campus where he made his mark as a basketball player and member of the ‘Run Baby, Run’ team that reached the defeated Duke in the NIT quarterfinals more than 50 years ago.”
The first phase of the renovation includes the creation of a modern basketball/volleyball arena, with amenities like new retractable bleachers with an allotment of chairback seating, a new hardwood court, a re-imagined entryway to the facility, enhanced lighting and new video scoreboards.
Saint Peter’s Division 1 sports programs compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
School officials say the project, funded by restricted gifts, will have a profound impact on recruitment, community engagement, support for athletics and institutional pride. Construction is slated to begin this summer.
“This transformative upgrade to our shared volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball facility will provide our teams with the infrastructure they need to continue striving for athletics excellence within the (MAAC), while also providing a quality space for all of our students to participate in recreational gym activities,” said Rachelle Paul, director of athletics.
In celebration of the proud legacy of Peacocks’ basketball, Mac Mahon has made the decision to honor his former 1967-68 men’s basketball teammates and name the transformed space the “Run Baby Run Arena” — the nickname given to the team that stunned 11th-ranked Duke, 100-71. At the time, the National Invitational Tournament, not the NCAA Tournament, was the major college basketball postseason tournament.
“My relationship with Saint Peter’s has been one-sided in that it has done more for me than I could have ever imagined,” Mac Mahon said. “The foundation of my life was built on the streets of Jersey City, at the corner of Kennedy Boulevard and Montgomery Street. This project has been a longtime dream of mine and I am thrilled that it will soon come to fruition. I am also delighted that this gift will pay tribute to my teammates, celebrate our time together at Saint Peter’s and create a lasting legacy of basketball in the late 1960s.”
Mac Mahon, who served as chairman of the board of trustees from 2012 to 2018, has been cited by Forbes magazine (2004) and the Harvard Business Review (2010) as one of the best performing CEOs in the world. He was LabCorp’s chairman and chief executive officer from 1997 to 2006 and a director from 1996 to 2013.
The long-term master plan for Yanitelli Center will dramatically upgrade nearly every facet of the facility, officials said.
Short-term priorities beyond the arena project include the swimming pool, locker rooms and more. Subsequent phases will be announced as additional funding is secured.
The announcement comes as the university is building a new residence hall, physical and working on technological enhancements to the Frank J. Guarini School of Business and the addition of a Digital Research Commons in the Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library.
“While our gatherings and in-person interactions are currently limited due to coronavirus, COVID-19, we know that our community will be together again in the future,” said Leah Leto, vice president for advancement and external affairs at Saint Peter’s University. “... We are incredibly grateful to all donors who have contributed to the RLC transformation thus far and we hope that Tom’s generosity will inspire future gifts to help us see our longer-term vision come to fruition.”