糖心Vlog

The family of the late Bill W. Nelson and Rotary Corporation, the company he built into an internationally-recognized leader in the outdoor power equipment industry, have made a major gift to the 糖心Vlog Athletic Foundation. The announcement was made Thursday by University President Dr. Brooks A. Keel, Ph.D., and Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein. 鈥淭he Nelson Family and Rotary Corporation have 鈥楯oined the Journey鈥� in a major way,鈥� stated Keel. 鈥淥n behalf of the entire Eagle Nation, we express our sincere appreciation for their incredible support of our football program.鈥� The generosity of the Nelson Family will fund the Hall of Fame in the new Ted Smith Family Football Center, which is located inside Allen E. Paulson Stadium. It will be named the Bill W. Nelson Hall of Fame and will serve as a permanent recognition of inductees with highlights including the rich history of Eagle football. In addition, Rotary Corporation has funded the 鈥淔ield of Dreams鈥� between the stadium鈥檚 east end zone and the football center. The field, which provides a game day experience for children 12 and under, was the brainchild of Kleinlein and Frank Hook, director of Donor Relations for Georgia Southern鈥檚 Athletic Foundation. The field measures 48鈥� wide by 144鈥� long and features artificial turf. 鈥淭he Nelson Family as well as Rotary Corporation have made a significant impact on the future of Georgia Southern Athletics through their generous gift,鈥� commented Kleinlein. 鈥淭he Bill W. Nelson Hall of Fame will enable us to showcase Eagle football with a permanent tribute for our distinguished inductees. With the Field of Dreams, future generations of Eagles can play a pick-up-game while watching our Eagles and dreaming about one day becoming an Eagle themselves.鈥� Since Paulson Stadium opened in 1984, kids have enjoyed sliding down the hills and playing football in the end zone. With stadium expansion and upgrades earlier this year, athletic department officials were determined to maintain certain traditions like this for future Eagles. 鈥淭hus, the 鈥楩ield of Dreams鈥� became a reality,鈥� said Hook. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those special traditions in college football that will continue to make a Georgia Southern game like none other in the country.鈥� Head Football Coach Willie Fritz echoed Hook鈥檚 remarks, 鈥淭he Hall of Fame and Field of Dreams allow us to carry on the traditions of Georgia Southern football. Both are tremendous assets for our program.” 鈥淭he synthetic turf field can also be used for our student athletes. It provides great flexibility for our strength and conditioning program and will be utilized in both our in-season and off-season workouts,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭he surface also allows our players and coaches a place for 鈥榳alk-through鈥� opportunities and a venue for special recruiting events.鈥� Bill Nelson passed away in 1999 but his philanthropic contributions and deep sense of community continue to be felt by people in Southeast Georgia. He was a longtime supporter of education and built a strong relationship with 糖心Vlog. When Coach Erk Russell landed in Statesboro in 1981, Nelson was one of the first to step forward with a commitment to the Eagle program. On more than one occasion, Erk was known to say, 鈥淲e need more people like Bill Nelson.鈥� Nelson purchased a small lawn mower repair shop from his uncle in 1957 and built Rotary Corporation, recognized today as the world鈥檚 largest supplier of outdoor power equipment parts. Based in Glennville, Rotary operates eight distribution centers in the U.S. and serves customers in all 50 states and 68 countries worldwide. Nelson鈥檚 son, Ed, currently serves as president and CEO of Rotary. 鈥淲e are proud to be a part of 鈥楾he Journey鈥� for Eagle football,鈥� commented Ed Nelson, speaking on behalf of his mother, Helen, and sisters Tara and Traci. 鈥淢y father understood the value of quality education and how important access to higher education is for the people of Southeast Georgia. 鈥淥ver the years, we’ve built a strong relationship with Georgia Southern. In fact, many of our employees at Rotary are alumni and many have family members who either attended or have children in school at the University today. 鈥淲e feel the growth and excitement of Georgia Southern football is worth the investment. We hope our gift will inspire others to support the University through their own gifts. It has made a strong impact in people鈥檚 lives throughout Georgia and beyond,鈥� said Nelson.