$2M GIFT FOR HUNTINGTON ATHLETIC EXPANSION

Huntington University’s athletic complex (PLEX) is undergoing an $18.7 million expansion and redesign, and HU alum Ryan Thwaits (2004) is leading the charge with a gift pledge of $2 million. “When it was built, the PLEX was state-of-the-art, but time has taken its toll,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton. “It’s time to make the most trafficked building on campus shine again.”

“Athletics are vital in bringing a college campus and community together. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team,” said Thwaits.

He is quick to point out the leaps and bounds HU has already made in academic programs, faculty, and spaces.

“Huntington’s academic offerings have always been top notch, and the opportunities created by an HU degree are vast, but I want these dollars to be invested in athletics and the experience that extracurricular involvement can bring to a collegiate experience,” said Thwaits, who was inducted into the HU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016 for basketball. “People who came before me invested in Huntington so that I could have a fantastic college experience and athletics opportunities,” said Thwaits. “Now it’s my turn to do the same for the next generation of Foresters.”

Thwaits believes we are all called to “give back to make things better for the next generation. It’s our duty to invest in the future, and there is no better place to invest than Huntington University.”

To learn more about the PLEX project, visit

huntington.edu/PLEX.

With a third of HU’s student population involved in athletics, Thwaits’ investment in the PLEX will make a major impact.