May 31, 2006
Normal, Ill. -
When it comes to food, Illinois State student-athletes don't hear the word `No' very often. That's just fine with Art Donaldson.
"I hate telling people `no'," said Donaldson, owner of the popular Bloomington restaurant and catering business called Times Past Inn. "So, if they request it, we do it. Especially at Illinois State,"
Donaldson's catering feeds almost every Redbird team at least once a year.
"It's a lot of work," Donaldson said. "Catering was 20 percent of our gross sales last year but it takes up 50 percent of our time."
The majority of that catering has been going to the Illinois State Redbirds for 17 years, feeding the hungry mouths of student-athletes for different occasions such as pre-game meals, banquets, or other social events. Donaldson also is a regular at just about every Redbird Athletics banquet.
"The coaches usually pick the meals since student-athletes sometimes have particular diets," Donaldson said. "If it's not normal we have recipes and we'll figure out one way or another how to do it."
Donaldson feeds the men's basketball team more than any other team, and the team's favorite item is pasta. Like most teams, they have a major meal about four hours before competing.
"They always eat four hours before a game," Donaldson said. "Their meals consist of a lot of carbohydrates; pasta, baked potatoes, bread, corn and either chicken breasts, dinner steaks, or rib eye steaks."
Times Past Inn is a local and family owned business. Donaldson doesn't just organize the events; he also serves the food by himself or with the help of his wife Judy, daughter Billiejo, and, occasionally, his best friend of 23 years, Gary Segobiano.
"After we set up the tables we'll go home, clean up, put catering outfits on and help the student-athletes go through the line of food and then clean up the dishes," Segobiano said.
To Segobiano, helping Donaldson isn't a job.
"I'd say we're more golf partners than co-workers," Segobiano said. "But I'll help him when he's in a jam."
Which can happen often--especially when Segobiano is at his favorite eatery Times Past Inn.
"Sometimes, while I'm having a cocktail or eating breakfast at the restaurant, Art will come up to me and say `Hey, you're just the guy I've been looking for', and then I have to get to work," Segobiano said. "I need to find myself a new place to hang out."
Certainly Segobiano would find a new place if it wasn't for the perks of Donaldson's catering company, like extra tickets to Redbird games.
"I've got season tickets for the men's basketball games and we try to make the volleyball, women's basketball and football games as well," Donaldson said. "We're Redbird Club members and have been since we started feeding the teams."
Donaldson's favorite perk of the job is building relationships with the staff, coaches, and student-athletes at Illinois State.
"I like meeting all the people the best and seeing the freshman grow into seniors and watch them mature and grow as players," Donaldson said. "I once even got invited to a player's wedding."
The feeling Donaldson has for the Redbirds is mutual. Associate Athletics Director Leanna Bordner feels that Donaldson truly belongs with the Redbirds.
"He's local and we're a local team," Bordner said. "He's a part of our hometown family and Redbird family."
Bordner and certainly all Illinois State coaches appreciate Donaldson's support for Redbird athletics.
"Art has been a very loyal donor, ticket holder, sponsor and friend of the Redbirds," Bordner said.
It seems that the Redbirds want Donaldson to stick around.
"I think we're doing something right since they keep asking us back," Donaldson said. "I don't see us leaving any time soon."
