UPEI Alumni name gets high profile on campus

Alumni of the University of Prince Edward Island now have a place on campus that bears their name. The impressive outdoor athletics facility constructed for the 2009 Canada Games is now officially called the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place in honour of the thousands of people who are, or will be, proud graduates of UPEI.

The UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place features a 400-metre track with eight competition lanes on an artificial surface, with seating for more than 1200 spectators. The track surrounds a natural grass infield called MacAdam Field. The new facility will be a major competition venue and the site for the closing ceremonies for the Canada Games in August.

Thanks to the support of 50 alumni who have already pledged $1000 a year for five years, the UPEI Alumni Association has raised enough funds to secure the naming rights. The official naming announcement took place on centre ice at the MacLauchlan Arena just before the puck dropped at the start of the men's hockey game between the UPEI Panthers and UNB on February 13.

'This appeal has drawn great interest from our alumni,' says past-president of the Alumni Association, Phil MacDougall, who is spearheading the special appeal. 'We are proud to participate as a group at this leadership level. It is exciting to note that those who have taken part so far span 61 class years, from 1948 to 2009. We look forward to having more alumni participate to help achieve our goal for the future benefit of our student athletes and the whole university community.'

Wayne Carew, vice president of the 2009 Canada Games and Friends of the Games division, the arm of the Games charged with raising funds, says, 'As both a UPEI alumnus and a member of the 2009 Canada Games Host Society, it means a great deal to me to see my alma mater joining in partnership with the Games through the naming of this wonderful facility.'

Joseph Spriet, president of the Games, added, 'We are so thrilled to have a partner on board like UPEI and we look forward to continue working with them as we move closer to August. UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place will provide a lasting legacy to future Island athletes.'

As part of the appeal, a 2008 Trius bus was branded for Panther athletics teams to travel to out-of-town games. The exterior has been completely transformed using high-impact colour images of Panther athletes in action. Inside, the bus has wireless internet access to allow student athletes to work on their studies while travelling.

The Alumni Association needs 50 additional $5000 pledges to reach the final goal of the appeal: to create new scholarships for UPEI athletes who will act as community ambassadors for UPEI. The names of all donors at this leadership level will appear on a recognition piece at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place. To find out who has participated so far, or to make a pledge, visit upei.ca/alumni or call (902) 566-0761.