General | 10/21/2019 12:56:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY -- An all-star lineup of celebrities, dignitaries and Special Olympians were on hand Monday for the grand opening of Nazareth College's newest building -- the Golisano Training Center.
Made possible through a $7.5 million donation from Tom Golisano, the 108,000-square foot facility officially opened for business with a kick-off ceremony that included speeches from Golisano as well as Nazareth President Daan Braveman, Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver, Special Olympics Ambassador and former NFL player Dale Moss and Nazareth alum and current ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy. Another featured speaker was Nazareth junior Jake Adams, a member of the men's soccer team and President of Nazareth's Special Olympics club.
The ceremony was followed by a competitive unified basketball game, a tennis clinic with nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles and healthy athlete screenings with help from Nazareth students from the School of Health and Human Services.
More than 100 Special Olympians also were on hand to open the facility and to join in a torch ceremony with a Special Olympics cauldron. Nazareth College and Special Olympics of New York (SONY) teamed up to create the innovative and inclusive facility that will provide a training and competition center for people of all ages who have intellectual disabilities. The Genesee Region's more than 3,000 Special Olympians participate in 31 regional competitions annually.
The facility features a six-lane indoor track as well as an 80 x 40-foot artificial turf field for recreation, athletics, intramural and club sports teams. There is also a fitness center, dance/yoga space, locker rooms, athletic training room and the Café Nine specialty dining area. The facility will host several indoor track and field meets, including the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional meet and will be the featured space for Special Olympics training and competitions.