Martins' Gift benefits UW Intercollegiate Athletics |
 |
 |
In spring 2005, Casper entrepreneurs John and Mari Ann Martin, along with Mick and Susie McMurry, committed a $5 million gift (doubled to $10 million through the state match) to UW Athletics.
Upon announcement of the donation, UW named the playing surface at War Memorial Stadium “Jonah Field” after the natural gas field in Sublette County that helped make the benefactors’ gift possible. The gift will also help construct numerous projects identified in the Strategic Plan for UW Athletics.
Not only does the playing surface carry a new name, but it features a brand new, state-of-the-art artificial playing surface that was finished in early August. The Desso Challenge Pro 60 turf was installed at a cost of just under $1 million.
“On behalf of the Martin family, we want this gift to reflect our gratitude to this wonderful state for all that it has given to us over the past 30 years,” says John Martin. “This is a unique opportunity for us to memorialize the Jonah natural gas field and to recognize the contributions made from the minerals industry to this university and to the state of Wyoming. We believe that this gift will produce athletic facilities that are among the best in the NCAA. We hope that this gift will inspire future UW students and student athletes to continue the rich traditions of this university.”
“Natural gas made this gift possible,” said former UW President Philip Dubois, “but the generosity of John and Mari Ann Martin and Mick and Susie McMurry, coupled with the foresight of the Wyoming State Legislature in instituting a matching fund program, will make possible many of the enhancements to intercollegiate athletics enumerated in our strategic plan. The ultimate beneficiaries will be our student athletes and our fans.”
UW Head Football Coach Joe Glenn concurs. “The generosity of the Martin and McMurry families is just tremendous. On the one hand, it is so symbolic of the love for this university that convinced me and my staff to come to the University of Wyoming in 2003. But it’s also a gift that will absolutely contribute to building our football program—and many other programs at the university, like soccer, tennis, and track—to where we can compete for conference championships year after year.”
The couple has donated nearly $70,000 to other areas on campus, bringing the Martins’ gift total since 2000 to nearly $2.6 million.
Photo: Mari-Ann and John Martin Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006
|
