Grey skies and cool early spring temperatures didn't stop hundreds of St. Ambrose students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters from celebrating a bright future outside the Rogalski Center on April 7.
Ground was broken that day for a new 80,000-square-foot Wellness and Recreation Center adjacent to the PE Center. A day earlier, plans for the state-of-the-art facility were unveiled when Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, university president, announced the launch of the public phase of the Building Our Future campaign.
The Wellness and Recreation Center is the priority project of the $18.5 million campaign.
The facility represents the largest single capital project in university history.
Sister Joan was joined for the campaign announcement by Vice President for Advancement Jim Stangle '82 and Campaign Co-Chairs Mike and Barbara Johnson.
The Johnsons enthusiastically joined voices to reveal that more than $13 million of the campaign goal already has been pledged.
"The impressive total raised so far for this project includes several leadership gifts of $1 million or more," Mike Johnson said. "Some of those leadership donors wish to remain anonymous. Four are allowing us to share news about their leadership gifts, in hopes they might inspire others to support our campaign."
One such gift honors Patricia and John "Jack" Bush, and is being given by their sons and daughters and their spouses: Barbara (Bush) and Mike Johnson, Peter '99 MBA and Julie Bush, Greg Bush, Larry Bush, Joseph and Mary "Katie" Bush, Thomas and Susan Bush, and Mary (Bush) and Timothy Walsh '08 MBA; and by members of the extended McCarthy-Bush family, Frank and Ann McCarthy.
The Johnsons also announced a generous gift from fellow co-chairs Beth (Figge) '86 and Brian Lemek '86. Both families represent "a new generation of St. Ambrose philanthropic and volunteer leadership," Sister Joan said.
Barbara Johnson and the Lemeks are members of the Board of Trustees, and Barbara and Beth each follow in the footsteps of their late fathers in service to St. Ambrose. "Jack" Bush and John Figge were St. Ambrose trustees emeriti, as well as leaders of families with long histories as university benefactors.
Noted as well at the April 6 news conference were gifts to the Building Our Future campaign from the Richard McCarthy Trust and from Joyce and Joe O'Rourke. The late Richard McCarthy was a 1946 St. Ambrose graduate. McCarthy Hall is named in his honor. Joe O'Rourke is a 1972 St. Ambrose graduate, a member of the Board of Trustees and a member of the campaign council. His family helped to fund Jim's Place, the St. Ambrose assistive technology house that honors their brother Jim O'Rourke.
The campaign leadership also includes honorary chairs Jim '56 and Mary Hagen. Jim is a trustee emeritus. Hagen Hall is named in the couple's honor.
Sister Joan said the Building Our Future campaign also has received support from several "first-time major donors," many who were especially inspired to "make this dream of a new Wellness Center a reality."
On April 7, students, faculty, staff and SAU supporters turned out to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking. Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch praised the St. Ambrose leadership and Board of Trustees for continuing to invest in a campus that long has served as an anchor for the city's Hilltop neighborhood.
The mayor noted the Wellness and Recreation Center project adds to the $200 million in overall annual economic impact a recent study showed the university has on the local economy. Officials estimate that the new construction project alone will have an additional economic impact of nearly $43 million and create 300 jobs in the community.
"Think about that," the mayor said. "St. Ambrose is not just a great academic institution in our midst. It is a great economic generator for our community."
News
Share This Story
