Dec. 8, 2006

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Thanks to the generosity of a group of alumni, St. Bonaventure University's Reilly Center arena will soon receive a new basketball floor.

Lisa and Samuel Molinaro, St. Bonaventure alumni from the classes of 1981 and 1980, respectively, contributed a lead gift of $210,000 to kick off the project. The Molinaros hosted a reception at the Yale Club in New York City on Nov. 30, during which additional funds were secured.

The existing Reilly Center arena floor will be replaced with a new, state-of-the-art wood floor. The exact cost for installing the new floor is uncertain until bids are sought, but the money raised thus far is enough to ensure the project can proceed.

A timetable for the project has yet to be determined, but the new floor is expected to be in place by the start of the fall 2007 semester. The current floor, which is also made of wood, was installed in 1991.

In addition to the floor replacement, additional funds are being sought to upgrade many of the arena's basketball operations equipment. That equipment could include timing, sound and statistics systems, as well as backboards and goals.

"We are extremely grateful for the generous gift from Lisa and Sam Molinaro," said Dr. Ron Zwierlein, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "We have been looking at replacing the floor for some time now, and their gift, along with the donations of others, will allow us to make this a reality. The current floor is near the end of its lifespan, while the new floor will be among the best in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

"While it primarily will serve both our men's and women's basketball programs, it will benefit almost every one of our intercollegiate sports teams as well as St. Bonaventure's physical education students. I would also expect it to have a positive effect on student recruitment and retention for the University as a whole," Zwierlein said.

Donations for the project are welcome. Contact Bob Keenan in the office of University Relations at (716) 375-2318 or via e-mail at rkeenan@sbu.edu for details.