Academy Receives Largest Donation from Graduate in School History
4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 1, 2010
Colorado Springs, Colo. - The USAFA Endowment is pleased to announce, on behalf of the U.S. Air Force Academy, the largest gift from a graduate to the Academy in the institution's history. Bart Holaday, Class of '65, and his wife, Lynn, have recently committed $5 million toward the construction of a new indoor athletic training facility.
The indoor training facility is slated for completion by early 2011. The 92,000 square-foot center will house a regulation-sized field that can accommodate football, lacrosse, and soccer, in addition to many other athletic activities. Cadet athletic development and performance will be enhanced through reduced weather delays, increased practice time, and improved replication of game conditions that the facility provides.
"This athletic facility will allow our cadets to safely train all year-round," says Dr. Mueh, the Director of Athletics. "This is a tremendous step forward for the athletics program and the Academy in terms of providing vital support for our cadets' development and success."
The training facility will foster short- and long-term success in all cadets' lives, as expressed by Troy Calhoun, '89, Head Football Coach: "Discipline, fortitude and toughness are key character traits that Air Force Academy graduates will draw upon while serving as leaders for our country on active duty and beyond. The construction of the indoor facility will continue to provide optimal support and training grounds for the young men and women at the world's finest leadership institution. This tremendous commitment and investment will be returned many times over by the quality of officers who, in the years to come, will lead our Air Force."
At this time, the Academy is the only service academy and one of only three institutions in the Mountain West Conference without a dedicated indoor training facility. Once completed, the facility will be among the best in the nation and is destined to become a landmark of private philanthropy as the largest privately-funded capital project in the Academy's history.
"We are thrilled to receive such an unprecedented gift and appreciate Bart and Lynn Holaday's generous and thoughtful support of our Academy," says General Gould, Superintendent of the Academy. "This training facility will be among the most important donor projects in the Academy's history. It will be a part of our cadets' daily lives. Every time they see this landmark, they will know that it was built specifically for them by the dedicated graduates and friends of the Air Force Academy."
Bart Holaday shared his motivation behind offering the $5 million gift: "My experiences at the Academy provided the foundation that I built my life upon: integrity, trust, hard work, persistence, and loyalty. The Academy emphasized the profound importance of sacrifice and service, inspiring me to support others in reaching their full potential. Lynn and I hope that this new facility will, in turn, inspire others to give back to the institution that gave so much to the two of us."
Dr. Erv Rokke, President of the USAFA Endowment, shared his thoughts on the importance of the new facility: "This indoor training facility is a landmark that heralds a new era of private philanthropy at the Academy, initiated by two exemplary individuals who, through their outstanding personal and professional conduct, truly embody Air Force Academy values."
