KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo College has received a $500,000 gift in support of women’s athletics from one of it’s own.
Alumni Dana Getmen presented the gift during a fund announcement event Kalamazoo College women’s coaches.
Officials say the money will be used to establish the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics, with the goal of inspiring others to recognize and address inequities women face in athletics and beyond. This in turn, officials add, will support the College’s strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023.
Kalamazoo College Athletic Director Becky Hall said, ““Achieving more equity between our women’s and men’s sports programs has been a need and a goal at K as long as I’ve been here, and a gift like this goes a long way toward making that a reality.”
Following his time as an English major at the college, Getman returned to his family’s business, guiding its evolution from building equipment that transported concrete that aided in the construction of the Mackinac Bridge to becoming a leading, worldwide supplier of safe and efficient mining equipment.
One of the first plans for the endowment is to add Hornets vinyl wall wraps to the women’s locker rooms to make them more personalized and welcoming, Hall said, and more on par with the men’s locker rooms.
“We plan in the future to use this fund to support and enhance equity in our women’s athletic programs’ operating budgets,” Hall said. “We also hope to fund additional staffing in the future to benefit our women’s teams.”
Getman has been a previous supporter of the Athletic Field Complex and the Fitness and Wellness Center.
