Challengers encourage others

At the national men's swimming and diving championships in St. Louis, Missouri, this past March, on the eve of the Lords' twenty-fifth consecutive victory, Jim Parker '81 made a surprise announcement to those gathered for the big event. Parker, along with six other individuals or families, had created a challenge fund of $750,000 to match, dollar for dollar, a like amount that would result in a total of $1.5 million to provide Kenyon with a naming gift for the pool in the new Center for Fitness, Recreation, and Athletics.

"This pool will celebrate the College's swimming legacy," says Parker, a resident of Lake Bluff, Illinois, who serves as chief executive officer and director of sales for Parker Plastics. Other donors to the challenge fund for the pool include Dave Gury '60 and his wife, Karen, parents of Jeannine Gury '89; Phyllis Eagon, widow of George Eagon '38; Brenda and Jonathan Holcomb, parents of Brett Holcomb '01; John Macionis, Prentice-Hall Distinguished Scholar and professor of sociology at Kenyon; and Nancy Ullmann, widow of Herb Ullman '52 and mother of Sharon Ullmann Clinch '89. Gifts to be matched by the challenge fund must be paid by December 31, 2007.

Recently, a second group has come together to create a challenge fund of $600,000 to support the recently completed expansion and renovation of McBride Field and Wilder Track. To build this fund, major donors to the project contributed gifts ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, some of which will be paid over a five-year period. The challengers include Neil Bortz and his sons, Adam Bortz '92 and Brian Bortz '93; Charlie Contrada '73 and his wife, Carol, parents of Dave Contrada '03; Hutch Hodgson '61; and Stephanie and Richard Quinby, parents of Jennifer Quinby '05.

This group of challengers will lead the way in soliciting members of the College's football, soccer, lacrosse, track, cross-country, and field hockey teams, who will be asked to join together to make team contributions to complete the project. Kenyon will celebrate the commitment of those who become donors with a Track and Field Restoration Campaign recognition plaque, located just inside the entrance to the fields from the new Center for Fitness, Recreation, and Athletics. Likewise, donors to the pool project will be honored in the natatorium area.

For more information about either of the challenge funds, please contact Acting Vice President for College Relations Sarah Kahrl at 427-5154 or kahrls@kenyon.edu.