Celebrating Founders’ Day

Members of the campus community enjoyed cupcakes and other giveaways in Farinon College Center.

On March 9, the College honored its past, celebrated the present, and invested in its future. The celebration resulted in 24 Wine 3/9 events across the country and internationally, the announcement of lead gifts, and more than $1.8 million in contributions from 457 donors.

Enhancements to soccer facilities: Former soccer player Peter Gummeson ’80 wants to create “wow” moments for Lafayette’s men’s and women’s soccer players when they enter their home stadium. His lead gift is a catalyst for the estimated $3.6 million project to create Gummeson Grounds: Home of Mike Bourger ’44 Field at Oaks Stadium, and is contingent on additional fundraising. “This is a call-to-arms project,” Gummeson says. “Let’s create a venue that is the best in the Patriot League and enables the coaches to attract the highest-quality players.”

Portlock renovation, expansion: Heidi Ludwick Hanson ’91 provided a lead gift for the revitalization of the Portlock Black Cultural Center, continuing her mission to enrich the multicultural student experience while also extending the center’s impact to the entire student body. Her gift supports the ongoing renovation of the historic home. “My hope is that the new Portlock Center will leave an impression that students will carry forward,” Hanson says. “Maybe that impression happens when they come to hear speakers, or maybe it’s through the friendships they make at the center.”

President Nicole Farmer Hurd hosted an afternoon community meeting for faculty and staff, which included special guests Robert Sell ’84, chair of the Board of Trustees; David Stifel, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics; and Kamaka Martin ’04, chair of the West Coast Advisory Council.