The Wayne Densch Charitable Trust has made the largest charitable gift commitment in the history of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics.
The ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Foundation and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics said the charitable gift of $4 million will support the construction of the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership. The new center will be the centerpiece of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs vision to mold its student-athletes into community leaders who are prepared to make a difference in the world.
βWe are very grateful to the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust and Leonard Williams for this record-setting gift,β ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury said. βMr. Densch was a wonderful supporter of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics and weβre absolutely thrilled to name the Wayne Densch Student-Athlete Leadership Center in his honor.
βWe are first and foremost educators. This facility will allow us to deliver on our core mission of developing our Everyday Champion student-athletes into future leaders for many, many years to come.β
The Wayne Densch Student-Athlete Leadership Center will serve as the headquarters for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student-athletesβ personal, professional and academic development. It will house ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs Student-Athlete Leadership Institute, Academic Services for Student-Athletes, Student Services and Compliance departments, while also providing operations space to serve more than 500 student-athletes. The center will include a multi-purpose classroom which will hold 200 students, a computer lab, tutoring and mentoring rooms, study space and conference and resource rooms.
βThe Wayne Densch Charitable Trust has been a stalwart supporter of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics for decades,β said ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ President John C. Hitt. βThis generous gift represents another milestone in the outstanding partnership between ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ and the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust to support our student-athletes.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs longstanding partnership with the late Wayne M. Densch dates back to 1985, when the Orlando businessman pledged $1 million to fund athletic scholarships. It also includes support for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs original athletic complex. Under the leadership of Leonard E. Williams, the charitable trust made a $2.5 million donation toward the construction of the Wayne Densch Sports Center, which opened in 2003 and is home to the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football program and the departmentβs strength and conditioning centers.
βΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ was his favorite team,β said Williams, who serves as trustee of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust. βBecause ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ was Wayneβs favorite charitable cause, weβve tried to continue honoring what he was doing when he was alive. I think he would be pleased by this gift.β
Wayne Densch, who passed away in 1994, had moved to Orlando from Kentucky. Densch was, according to Mr. Williams, βa man who didnβt hesitate to help, but one who didnβt want the publicity.β
The $4 million gift to the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership allows ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ to initiate the design phase of the $6.5 million project, while the remaining funds are raised. The Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership will be located just east of and adjacent to Bright House Networks Stadium. Construction is expected to begin in mid- to late 2014.