BIDDEFORD, Maine — The Harold Alfond Foundation has announced a commitment of $10 million to create an approximately $20 million state-of-the-art Harold Alfond Athletics Complex on the University of New England (UNE) campus in Biddeford combined with an investment in interprofessional healthcare workforce education.

The announcement was made this morning at UNE's Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences on the Biddeford Campus.

The project will include a 105,000-square-foot athletics complex featuring: an ice hockey rink with 900 seats; a basketball court with 1,200 seats; classroom space; a fitness center; and multi-purpose indoor practice courts that can also be used for performances and other events, with a combined seating capacity of 3,000.  

This will provide the largest gathering space on both the Biddeford and Portland campuses.  The complex will be located next to UNE's new synthetic blue turf field.

“Harold Alfond understood the positive relationship between athletics and academics, and was inspired by UNE's mission to educate Maine's health care professionals," said Greg Powell, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees.  "We are delighted to support UNE during such an exciting period of growth for the University."

UNE President Danielle N. Ripich, Ph.D., said: “We are extremely grateful to the Harold Alfond Foundation for this transformational gift – the largest in the history of the University of New England.  State-of-the-art educational and athletic facilities are fundamental resources that enhance the mental and physical well-being of our students.  UNE's reputation, the institution's overall competitiveness, and our ability to recruit and retain academically engaged students will be forever changed by this very generous gift.”

In true Harold Alfond fashion, the $10 million commitment includes a challenge grant. When UNE has successfully matched the $7 million Alfond gift with other donations in support of its mission, the Foundation will gift an additional $3 million to UNE for the purpose of interprofessional health workforce education.

“UNE is unique in that it offers a broad range of health and health-related clinical disciplines and is able to engage practitioners, scholars and researchers across health professions to educate a future work force in Maine,” said UNE President Ripich. “The Alfond Foundation's $3 million gift will enable us to prepare health professionals who can deliver integrated care in the 21st century and work towards establishing collaborative clinical practice sites.”

About the Harold Alfond Foundation

Founded in 1950, the Harold Alfond Foundation furthers the philanthropic legacy of Harold Alfond, the founder of Dexter Shoe Company and a longtime supporter of Maine communities in which he and his family worked and resided.  Harold Alfond awarded matching challenge grants to organizations to foster collaboration and to inspire and leverage additional giving by others.  He ensured that his philanthropy would live on by committing nearly all of his wealth to the Foundation, which continues to support charitable causes in the State of Maine.

Consistent with Harold Alfond's own giving pattern and philanthropic principles, the Foundation favors education, health care, youth development and other selected charitable causes.  The Foundation honors Harold Alfond's business approach to funding decisions, his belief in teamwork, and his love of competition by continuing to award matching challenge grants to projects that meet a demonstrable need, are entrepreneurial, promote teamwork, have measurable performance outcomes, are financially viable and have quality management and board leadership.


For more information regarding the announcement, click here.

PHOTO GALLERY of the announcement.