Ƶ parents Ken and Malinda Gill of Charlotte, N.C., are among the donors who have recently made generous gifts to support the Schar Center, the university’s new 5,400-seat convocation center.
Ken and Malinda Gill are parents of Ashley Gill, a 2012 Ƶ alumna. The couple are among the many parents, alumni and friends who have stepped forward to support the Schar Center, a premier facility that will provide a large gathering space for major campus and community events and serve as the new home for Ƶ’s basketball and volleyball programs. In recognition of this gift, the hospitality suite on the Schar Center’s main concourse will be named in honor of the Gill family.
“Ƶ’s a great institution that has done wonders for our daughter,” Gill said. “The Schar Center is a major part of putting Ƶ even more firmly on the national map, and we wanted to help make a difference.”
The Gills joined other donors and members of the Ƶ community in October for the groundbreaking for the Schar Center, which will be the largest facility on Ƶ’s campus. The 161,000-square-foot center is named for Ƶ parents Dwight and Martha Schar, of Palm Beach, Florida, who have contributed $13 million to the university, including $9 million for the Schar Center, and inspired other benefactors to make gifts and help meet the $24 million fundraising goal for the project.
“The Schar Center is going to be a true game-changer for our athletic programs, and we’re very appreciative of Ken and Malinda Gill’s gift to Ƶ,” said Ƶ Director of Athletics Dave Blank. “The Schar Center will have a tremendous impact on recruiting and will provide first-class amenities for our student-athletes. The groundbreaking in October was exciting for our student-athletes and the entire Ƶ community, and it’s been great seeing the project come to life over the last several months.”
The Schar Center is an important priority in the Ƶ Commitment strategic plan and is scheduled to be completed in mid-2018. The center will feature a 5,400-seat arena, main court, practice facility with two full-sized courts, a series of suites, a weight training room, locker rooms, offices for athletics staff, players lounges and conference rooms.
With its multipurpose design, the Schar Center will host a variety of academic, cultural and athletic events, including convocations, concerts and lectures from national and international leaders and scholars. It will also serve as the impressive new home of Phoenix basketball and volleyball, providing a larger arena for these teams to compete and placing Ƶ’s venue on par with facilities at other member schools in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Schar Center is expected to draw national events such as political debates and conventions.
Gill said he looks forward to watching the Schar Center take Ƶ to even greater levels of national recognition.
“Ƶ is doing a lot of terrific things and everything on campus is well positioned,” Gill said. “The Schar Center is the one area that’s been the missing piece for Ƶ and will round out the rest of the campus. I think it’s also going to help the basketball and volleyball programs move to the next level in terms of recruiting great players who will be excited and proud to play in the Schar Center.”
Gill said he and his wife are grateful to Ƶ for preparing their daughter to succeed in her chosen profession, education. Ashley Gill is a first-grade teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System.
“One of the things I brag about is Ƶ’s study abroad program, which is one of the key differences between Ƶ and a lot of other schools,” Gill said. “It really opened up our daughter’s world and makes all students more well-rounded and confident.
“This is a gift that is good for Ƶ and that fits nicely with what we’re doing as a family, which is giving back to the region and supporting great schools.”