The new Guelph Gryphons Athletic Centre is $400,000 closer to its $60-million fundraising goal, thanks to a donation by the University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) during halftime at the Homecoming football game against McMaster University Sept. 19.

The major gift to the Building Potential campaign will be recognized in the naming of the student lounge and the climbing wall inside the Guelph Gryphons Athletic Centre. Scheduled to open in September 2016, the centre will provide students, faculty, staff and the public with athletic and fitness facilities.

“Athletics plays such an important role on campus,” says Brandon Gorman, president of the UGAA. “The facilities will also provide the training equipment and space our varsity athletes need to be competitive. All of this helps create the community that is so unique at the University of Guelph.”

Members of the UGAA presented the gift to Tom Kendall, director of Athletics, and Franco Vaccarino, U of G president and vice-chancellor.

“It’s amazing to see alumni giving back like this,” says Kendall. “We know these new facilities are going to create a great place for alumni to come and enjoy campus, to watch our games and join us at events.”

More than 10,000 alumni live in the City of Guelph. “Their kids attend our summer camps and play sports on campus,” he adds. “We are very pleased that by expanding our facilities we will benefit these families and everyone in the greater community.”

A university-wide student referendum pledged $40 million toward the project; the campaign aims to raise the remainder.