Students Partner with
Community & State
The Kress Events Center exists thanks to student interest, initiative and financial contributions.
As early as the mid-1990’s, student leaders had begun to articulate the case for new facilities befitting UW-Green Bay’s status as a highly regarded regional university. By 1999, the student-led Campus Life for the 21st Century Committee had recommended improvements to both the Phoenix Sports Center and University Union to better serve students and help boost recruitment and retention.
A priority was updating the cramped and outdated sports center. The 21st Century Committee identified better recreation and fitness space, a more suitable facility for NCAA Division I athletics and a venue large enough for commencement, orientation and other campus events as key elements.
On April 3, 2000, the Student Senate voted to commit additional student fees over a 20-year period to support the facility’s phoenix-like rebirth. With roughly half the estimated $33 million cost of expansion and remodeling thus accounted for, University officials were soon able to secure a state pledge of $7.5 million.
Private fundraising was the final piece of the puzzle. Scores of businesses and individuals stepped forward with gifts totaling more than $11 million, led by the George Kress Foundation and Kress Family. At least 15 community donors made gifts at or above $100,000. Most cited the extraordinary foresight and financial commitment of the project’s lead donors – UW-Green Bay’s students – as inspiration for their generous support.
