2/6/13
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) alum and current New York Yankee centerfielder Curtis Granderson has pledged the funding for a new multi-million dollar baseball stadium on the campus of UIC. The facility will be home for Flames Baseball, but more importantly, is intended to serve area youth and the Chicago community. Partnerships with Major League Baseball (MLB), Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and various youth organizations will provide access to the aptly named “Curtis Granderson Stadium” for a multitude of events.
“We are grateful to Curtis for his generosity, which will impact UIC baseball and our student-athletes for generations,” said UIC Athletic Director Jim Schmidt. “Curtis is once again demonstrating his strong core values in assisting the youth of Chicago. He is a special person and a great representative for UIC.”
Granderson announced his gift at the inaugural Diamond Dinner hosted by UIC Baseball where his No. 28 Flames jersey was retired. The contribution is expected to be the largest gift in UIC Athletics history and also one of the most generous donations on record for the University.