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U of M receives $12.5 million gift from Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 10/19/2007 ) -- Leaders of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) joined University of Minnesota officials today to announce a $12.5 million gift from the SMSC to the university. Ten million dollars will go to support the construction of TCF Bank Stadium and $2.5 million will go to a matching endowment fund, creating a $5 million endowment to provide scholarships, with a preference given to American Indian students. The $10 million stadium gift is the largest single private gift ever to Golden Gopher Athletics. "The Dakota people, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and all tribes in Minnesota have traditions that extend back thousands of years," said university President Robert Bruininks. "This gift will tangibly link those traditions with new, shared traditions that we will celebrate and enjoy together, further enriching the legacy of TCF Bank Stadium." "We thought it important to support this cause as a way to encourage a better understanding of the history and role of Indians in Minnesota," said Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Stanley R. Crooks. "The U of M is a fine institution of higher learning and what better place to promote the role of Indians in this state. The endowment will provide opportunity for more Indian students to seek out a college education at the university so that they can better serve their tribal communities. We need Indian doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants and leaders to help Indian people be self-sufficient." In recognition of the significance of the gift, both the west hospitality plaza - the largest and most central plaza for the stadium - and the scholarship will be named in honor of the SMSC. The proposed name of the plaza, along with more details about the design, will be announced at a later time. Bruininks said the university will work with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to design and build a plaza that will exhibit and celebrate the history, presence and cultural contributions of American Indian tribes in Minnesota. TCF Bank Stadium, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2009, is being funded in part by $86 million in private gifts and sponsorships. With the SMSC gift, the total amount raised is $73 million, with $13 million yet to be raised. More about TCF Bank Stadium can be found at www.umn.edu/stadium. ---------- |
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