$5 mil donation for the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex

JD said that resurfacing of Cooke Field (to be renamed the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex) might be done by the end of October:
"But we'll be seeing if we can't push that up." (HSB)

About how he had hoped that the practice field would be ready for the start of football practice in August, Mack said:
"It's scheduled to be ready when we really need it, when it starts raining a lot." (HSB)

At the Press Conference after the $5 mil donation was approved by the Board of Regents, Ching's brother Bernard said:
"This was a great, very enjoyable day. (Clarence) was a big fan." (HA)

HA Note: "The donation was the largest in history provided by the charitable foundation, and the largest the university has received specifically for its athletics program."

About how Clarence Ching would have strongly approved of this donation, his granddaughter Cathy Ching siad:
"In the old days, back at Honolulu Stadium, he sponsored football teams. He was also into boxing." (HSB)

"We're trying to fulfill (Clarence Ching's) wishes of helping out the community. He was very, very generous to his family and his extended family." (HSB)

HA Note: "The new Ching Athletic Complex is slated for 2,000 additional seats, bringing the total number of seats to as many as 3,500. It will also include two lockers rooms, a storage facility, offices, a press box and scoreboard."

About the new Athletic Complex, Mack said:
"It's going to give our department a big boost." (HA)

HA Note: "McMackin said the new field will allow his team to prepare for games played on artificial turf and help preserve the grass practice field in rainy weather."

About how this show the players that the community supports them, Mack said:
"Aside from our great fan support, it's the first message our players have gotten that the community supports them and is looking out for them." (HA)

HA Note: "The shoddy state of Cooke Field (originally constructed in 1915 for $1,500) and other facilities received national attention last year as the UH football team rose to prominence. The donation grew out of talks between UH President David McClain and retired banker and Panda Group founder Jack Tsui, who met in January in an effort to raise funds to retain former head football coach June Jones. When Jones resigned to take over at SMU, McClain faxed Tsui a list of high-priority items, topped by the Cooke Field renovation. Tsui, who sits on the Ching Foundation board of directors, then put UH officials in touch with the foundation."

Tsui said that the Foundation has just completed a $130 mil sale of Kukui Gardens and was looking to:
"to get the foundation into the 21st century. Colt (Brennan, the former UH quarterback) brought public attention to some of the UH facilities. Should we have inquired about it more? Probably. But chances are the athletic director or the administration usually brings these things to the public. I don't want to cast aspersions on (former athletic director Herman Frazier) but if the athletic director has his signals around town, we can get a lot done." (HA)

"We think it will be a great beginning to private-public partnerships." (HSB)

HA Note: "Tsui said he hopes the donation will be a "transformative gift" that spurs further private-public support of UH athletics."

HSB Note: "Tsui said he received the blessings of a member of the Cooke family in changing the name of the facility."

About the $5 mil donation, Chancellor Hinshaw said:
"Ever since I first stepped on campus, I've heard of problems that this donation will solve." (HA)

HSB Note: "The first construction phase is resurfacing of the football field, which UH athletic director Jim Donovan hopes to have done during the upcoming season. Eventually, there will be locker rooms, offices, storage areas, a press box and a scoreboard, Donovan said. The field will be used by several sports teams as well as for intramural, band and ROTC activities."

HA Note: "Hinshaw said the facility will serve not just UH athletic teams, but intramural sports, the ROTC, the UH marching band, high school sports programs and other community groups. Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya said he was pleased that high school sports will soon return to the Manoa campus. He said he hopes high school soccer and track and field championships will be held at the new facility."