Aug. 22, 2002

MANHATTAN, Kan. - George Breidenthal of Kansas City, Kan., has made a gift of $500,000 to the KSU Foundation that will be applied to a fund to be used for a new boathouse for the Kansas State rowing program, it was announced this week.

Breidenthal made a contribution to assist in the building of a facility at Tuttle Creek Lake to be used by the Wildcat women's rowing program and the men's club. The new facility will provide a team house that will include showers, locker rooms, restrooms, team meeting space, coaches' offices and a training room for use by all the K-State rowing programs.

ÒI've been involved in rowing since I came to school with Don Rose in 1966,Ó Breidental said of one of the founders of the K-State rowing program. ÒI visited the current boathouse with some people and looked at the plans they had in mind.

ÒOnce I saw what a new boathouse might look like, I knew it was obviously needed. This is a chance for us to make an impact on the lives on the young men and women who work very hard to be part of the rowing programs at K-State.Ó

ÒIt is incredible that the Breidenthals have given this generous lead gift for the K-State Rowing Teamhouse,Ó said Wildcat women's head coach Jenny Hale. ÒGeorge Breidenthal is a champion of women's athletics, and we are grateful that he is helping the women's and men's crews with this facility.

ÒThe momentum generated by this lead gift will help fulfill the dream of having an outstanding rowing facility for our student-athletes. We are confident that our Wildcat fans and rowing alumni in Kansas, and across the country, will help push this project across the finish line.Ó

Ruth Ann Wefald, wife of University President Jon Wefald, has been a long-time supporter of the K-State rowing program. She also expressed great excitement for the lead gift to the project.

ÒI am thrilled with the marvelous gift fom the Breidenthal family for the K-State boathouse project,Ó said Mrs. Wefald. ÒThis gift is just what we need to bring the project within reach and to ensure that the boathouse facility will become a reality in the near future.

ÒEveryone at K-State is grateful to the Breidenthals for their support of the rowing program. Time and time again it has been proven that excellent facilities attract great athletes. We thank the Breidenthals for helping us to build the facility that will attract great athletes to K-State rowing for many years into the future.Ó

Breidenthal was the manager for the men's rowing team in the 1970's.

Hale said the lead gift would help complete two-thirds of the funding needed for the $1.1 millioin project. Naming opportunities still exist for the project, according to Hale. For more information, contact Grace Hwang at the KSU Foundation at 785-532-7582 or Hale at 785-532-7027.

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