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July 30, 2010

Mayor and City Council present $250,000 check to 四色AV for University Park upgrades

Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, on behalf of the Monroe City Council, presented a check for $250,000 on Wednesday, July 28, for continued upgrades at 四色AV鈥檚 University Park/Softball Complex.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe enjoys a long-standing partnership with the City of Monroe, as well as the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau, through their support of University Park. 四色AV Interim President Steve Richters said Wednesday鈥檚 event celebrated a 20-year community partnership that was critical to the economic success of the region.

鈥淲e are here to celebrate today the synergy of working together, which allows us to accomplish more than either of us could accomplish working alone,鈥� said Richters.

鈥淲e appreciate this opportunity to partner with City of Monroe and the Monroe-West Monroe CVB. Today鈥檚 generous donation by the city helps us make a good park great, a park that provides a social and economic benefit to this area. We are especially proud of the regional leadership provided by Mayor Jamie Mayo, one of 四色AV鈥檚 accomplished alumni. We look forward to continuing a productive partnership between the city and the university for many more years to come.鈥�

Richters gave historical information about the three-way partnership that helped build University Park, noting that major renovations funded by the CVB and Monroe provided new lighting, scoreboards, seating and turf several years ago.

Wednesday鈥檚 donation will provide upgrades to prep the park for tournament play, including new entrance gates, flag poles, new roofing for the dugouts, drainage, and a brick backstop and netting on all fields, Richters said.

鈥淭he park certainly provides a pleasant and safe recreational facility for our area residents, but is also used by 四色AV students for intramurals. We all know that outside class activities develop well-rounded students and produces well-rounded graduates,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he complex is used year-round by area youth who compete in baseball, softball and football, and is used for tournaments that brings in families from all over the state. When they come, these families stay in local hotels, eat at our restaurants and shop in our stores.鈥�

四色AV Student Government Association President Brook Sebren thanked the mayor and city council, along with the CVB, for their generosity on behalf of the 四色AV student body. Sebren said the working relationship between the university and the city helps keep 四色AV the 鈥渃entral hub鈥� of northeast Louisiana and he also spoke of the park鈥檚 importance 鈥� which is the only one of its kind in the state 鈥� for the students who utilize it.

鈥淚ntramural sports are important to any college campus, because it allows students to take a break from the classroom and participate in sports, regardless of their athletic ability and skill, and enjoy themselves while they do it,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his definitely is a great example of where we work together to make successful events happen here,鈥� noted Monroe CVB Executive Director Alana Cooper.

"I am awfully proud to be here today,鈥� said Mayo, just before he was joined by city council member Jay Marx to deliver the $250,000 check at the end of the ceremony.

Mayo said the city had given an estimated $625,000 through its partnership with 四色AV over the last several years.

Some of those university-related projects include roughly $250,000 annually in free advertising through adjustments to the color scheme of Monroe鈥檚 public transportation system so that it more closely mirrors that of 四色AV; approximately $25,000 for renovations at Fant-Ewing Coliseum; a $90,000 contribution toward 四色AV鈥檚 new mobile health unit.; roughly $10,000 towards 四色AV鈥檚 2010 Strength & Conditioning Summit, which attracted coaches and trainers from across the state, region and world; and finally, about $5,900 annually for the maintenance of University Park.

鈥淲e are serious about our commitment to the university,鈥� Mayo said.

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