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From: St. Norbert College Contact: Mike Counter | mike.counter@snc.edu | (920) 403-3089 Released: January 5, 2009
Fred and Carol Wakeman provide gift for Green Knight football, soccer, track and field venues Fred and Carol Wakeman have provided a $1 million gift commitment through a trust toward the construction of the new Donald J. Schneider Outdoor Athletics Complex at St. Norbert College. It will replace the Dr. John R. Minahan Stadium, a venue the Green Knights have been competing at for more than 70 years. The new athletics complex’s stadium entry plaza will be named after Fred and Carol Wakeman. Fred Wakeman, a 1950 graduate of St. Norbert College, retired in 1994 following a 41-year career with Green Bay Packaging. He worked his way up in that company to become an executive vice president, and retired as chief financial officer. Wakeman, a 1991 recipient of the college’s Alma Mater award, is a 20-year member of the St. Norbert College President’s Club giving society. Wakeman said that he is making this commitment because of the success he enjoyed in his business career and his belief that the college’s student athletes need upgraded facilities in order to continue to be successful. The new Donald J. Schneider Outdoor Athletics Complex will be built on property already owned by the college, south of the campus. The west De Pere site lies on Lost Dauphin Road, just north of Scheuring Road. The athletics complex will include a stadium with a capacity for 4,000 spectators and will be the practice and competition venue for football, soccer and track and field. “This gift from Fred and Carol Wakeman continues our momentum and brings us that much closer to breaking ground,” said St. Norbert College president Thomas Kunkel. “The Wakemans have been staunch supporters of St. Norbert College for many years and we appreciate their generosity and commitment to our students and community.” The Wakeman’s gift is received by the college within the same time frame as Donald and Patricia Schneider’s $4 million dollar lead gift announced a few weeks ago. To date, $7.4 million has been raised for the project. Construction on the new athletic complex is estimated to require 15 months to complete, and work will begin after 90 percent of the funding has been identified. St. Norbert College will continue to work with the City of De Pere in developing plans for the site. “Fred Wakeman’s character, integrity and drive propelled him to a long and highly-successful tenure at Green Bay Packaging,” said St. Norbert College senior advancement officer Lee Beach. “His life and career reflect exceptionally well on his alma mater. We are deeply grateful to Fred and Carol for this magnificent boost to the college’s athletic program.” The new athletics complex will include a 400-meter track with an all-weather surface; appropriate space for all field events; field turf for football and soccer competition; and a locker room building with lockers and showers that can accommodate more than 200 home and visiting athletes. The new location will also make it easier for students and visitors to attend athletic events. The infrastructure of the new complex will improve the experiences for student athletes and spectators says Tim Bald, athletic director at St. Norbert College. Currently, St. Norbert football and soccer teams use the Minahan complex for practice and competition. While several repairs and renovations have been performed on Minahan Stadium over the past 69 years, it is now obsolete. The facility no longer meets the needs of the growing student-athlete population and its competitors, nor does it offer a usable track and field facility. To view or download a PDF brochure describing the outdoor athletics complex campaign go to http://www.snc.edu/athletics/athleticscomplex.html. For more information on the new outdoor athletics complex, contact Don Maslinski, director of athletic fundraising, at (920) 403-3252 or e-mail don.maslinski@snc.edu. St. Norbert College is a Catholic, Norbertine liberal arts college known for its academic excellence, focus on international awareness, and leadership and service opportunities. Founded in 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, O.Praem., a Norbertine priest, St. Norbert College provides an education that is academically, personally and spiritually challenging. U.S. News & World Report’s guide to “America’s Best Colleges” ranks St. Norbert College among the top liberal arts colleges in the nation. The college has also been named to Templeton Honor Roll for Character-Building Colleges and has been named one of “The Best in the Midwest” by the Princeton Review magazine. |
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