Limestone College’s capital campaign, “Today’s Needs…Tomorrow’s Dreams,” has reached its $12 million goal. The campaign, which started in April of 2010, is the largest fundraising effort in Limestone’s 171-year history.
“This is an exciting and impressive accomplishment, and we are very grateful for those who have contributed to the success of the campaign,” said Limestone College President Dr. Walt Griffin. “Their generosity has brought about extraordinary transformations at the College. This support demonstrates the pride and belief that so many people have in Limestone to become one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. Although we have met our initial goal, there are still needs and ongoing initiatives on campus that require support.”
More than 2,600 donors – including alumni, trustees, parents, students, friends, foundations, and corporations – have supported the capital campaign through gifts and pledges.
"Achieving this goal was never a question; it was just a matter of time given the remarkable history of generosity of Limestone College donors,” said Kelly Curtis, Limestone’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement, who was also the Director of the capital campaign. “The record-setting campaign gifts are improving our facilities and are helping to shape the programs that are teaching students the skills they need for the 21st century."
Fresh red dirt has been the norm around Limestone since the campaign has sought $6 million for a new library, $4.8 million for various improvements to the outdoor athletics facilities, and $1.2 for the Limestone Fund.
The 23,000 square foot Bob Campbell field house that opened in 2014 includes 455 lockers, with separate areas for football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball and field hockey. The building, which connects with the existing Limestone Center, includes a laundry facility, equipment storage, a concessions area, restrooms for spectators, and a ticket sales box office.
Saints Field has had its natural turf replaced with a new synthetic surface to better accommodate the lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey teams, and new lighting has been added. The Founders Federal Credit Union baseball stadium has also received a facelift, with a new 300-seat grandstand, press box, bullpens, batting cages, and lighting.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new “Betsy Campbell Library,” to be constructed in a now vacant area between Montgomery Hall and the Carroll Fine Arts Building, is expected to be held in the near future. Fundraising efforts continue to equip the new library with the very best technology and resources.
The new facility will replace the A.J. Eastwood Library, built in 1966, that currently has no study rooms and is so tightly crammed that thousands of books are stored in a facility in downtown Gaffney. The new library will allow other campus programs to expand into the A.J. Eastwood building, relieving some space issues on other parts of campus.
The Limestone Fund is the College’s annual fund that supports the needs of current students through scholarships, classroom technology, and well-maintained facilities.
“It speaks to the quality of the experience that past students had at Limestone,” Dr. Griffin said of the capital campaign support from alumni. “The College has had quite an impact on them throughout their lives. They are grateful for that experience and they want to give back. We are very appreciative.”
To make a donation to the College, visit www.Limestone.edu/giving. For more information about what you can do to invest in the lives of Limestone students, please call the Institutional Advancement office at (864) 488-4602.