FORT MYERS, Fla. – FGCU Athletics has received its second $1 million pledge as part of the $7 million Alico Arena expansion and enhancement project as Dean and Janie Schreiner have committed to donate $1 million toward the improvements.
 
The gift has been earmarked for an expanded sports medicine area, and it is the second seven-figure donation this month which has been committed as part of the Department of Athletics' $12 million capital campaign. The original announcement was made in early February at the FGCU President's Celebration at the Ritz-Carleton in Naples.
 
"Participation in student athletics is an invaluable experience, and we strongly believe that sports are an essential preparation to a person's character for the working world," said Dean and Janie Schreiner. "We are proud to support the expansion of the sports medicine building as part of the Alico Arena expansion, and most importantly the talented Eagle student-athletes."
 
The Schreiners have been active members of the Eagles Scholarship Society – the highest annual giving designation for FGCU Athletics – since 2013. Their first Schreiner Family Scholarship was presented immediately following the men's basketball banquet in April of that year after the team became the first to ever advance to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed. This year, their scholarship recipient is women's basketball player Taylor Gradinjan. The couple have been supporters and boosters of FGCU Athletics since 2005, and are also men's and women's basketball season ticket holders.
 
"We are indeed blessed to be the beneficiaries of Dean and Janie's unbelievable generosity," stated FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. "Through this tremendous gift, we are afforded invaluable resources to greatly assist our capabilities to further support our current and future student-athletes, as we seek to provide much needed enhanced facilities to place us on par with the terrific accomplishments that our teams have been collectively producing."
 
The Schreiners' donation puts FGCU Athletics more than halfway to its goal of $7 million for Alico's enhancements, which will include the addition of a video board this summer, a student-athlete exclusive strength and conditioning center, an expanded sports medicine area, a new academic resource center and new office suites.
 
Earlier this month, longtime FGCU Athletics supporters Jim and Donna Sublett donated $1 million which was earmarked for the strength and conditioning facility to be built on to Alico's southeast corner. Currently, FGCU's student-athletes do not have a dedicated space to work out as they share the weight room with the university's student body population which is nearing 15,000. Despite this, FGCU has still claimed 40 conference tournament or regular-season championships since 2007-08, and has made 16 team or individual appearances in NCAA tournaments since 2011-12.
 
"We are delighted that Dean and Janie have stepped forward to support the athletic training and sports medicine expansion for FGCU Athletics," said FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw. "It is critical that our student-athletes remain healthy and competitive, and we are tremendously grateful for the Schreiners' support toward that end."
 
The other $5 million as part of athletics' capital campaign will be put toward scholarships, recruiting budgets, additional facility enhancements and strategic areas of focus. FGCU only has the NCAA maximum allowable scholarships in seven of its 15 programs, up from just four during the 2013-14 season.
 
"Dean and Janie Schreiner have made a tremendous investment in Florida Gulf Coast University and FGCU Athletics," added Graham Diemer, FGCU Assistant Athletics Director for Advancement. "It has been my pleasure to get to know them, and hopefully help them truly enjoy the impact of their generosity. This project will enhance the athletic and academic experience for all 15 programs and generations of future student-athletes."
 
The $12 million goal for athletics is part of the university's $100 million fundraising campaign, which was publicly launched in late September.
 
People interested in donating to the athletics campaign should contact Diemer at (239) 590-7117, or gdiemer@fgcu.edu. To learn more about the athletics capital campaign, visit FGCUAthletics.com/capitalcampaign.
 
About FGCU
FGCU has won a combined 40 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 7+ Division-I seasons as a member of the A-Sun and Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. Furthermore, in only 3+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has sent 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament, while men's golf, swimming and diving and men's tennis have had an individual participate in their respective NCAA Championship, bringing the total NCAA appearances for FGCU to 16 since the 2011-12 season.

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