ISU Athletics Receives Major Gift to Create New Softball Endowment

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University has received a major gift contribution from Eric and Maria Boerngen to launch a new "Heart of Service" endowment for the Redbird Softball program.

Eric and Maria are both Illinois State employees who have embraced being part of the campus community. Eric, a Campus Outreach Coordinator, and Maria, a Professor of Agriculture, attend numerous sporting events throughout the year.  Both are service-minded and have become close to Redbird Softball through their community service initiatives. 

"I've loved getting to meet with our donors in my time so far at Illinois State and the Boerngen's are no exception," Illinois State Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan said. "They represent so much of what is great about this University. They're engrained in the community, giving and selfless, and want to make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes. This gift will allow us to continue to reward softball student-athletes who embody what we stand for and are as impressive off the field as they are on it."

Eric and Maria are as big of fans of Redbird Softball off the field as they are on and wanted to establish an endowment that would be awarded each year to the Redbird Softball student-athlete who most exemplifies a "Heart of Service" that encompasses the culture Eric and Maria love about the softball program at Illinois State.

"I'm excited by this gift for a number of reasons, but the main reason is that it is special to see a genuine connection between our donors and our programs," ISU Assistant Athletics Director for Development Sean Johnson said. "To watch members of the Redbird community go from fans to donors to people who make an impact like this is amazing. I feel very fortunate to know Eric and Maria and see their connection to Redbird Softball. This is a long-lasting relationship that improves our department and we can't thank them enough."

The endowment will be awarded annually and will allow Redbird Softball to continue to elevate their program. If you are interested in supporting Redbird Athletics, please call Sean Johnson at (309) 438-1506 or contact him by Email at sajohns@ilstu.edu.

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