Gary and Brenda Spadoni Urquhart of Myrtle Beach have made a $150,000 gift to Coastal Carolina University to help fund the proposed athletic field house project on campus. The field house, designed for the north end of Brooks Stadium, will serve as headquarters for the university's athletic departments. The $8.6 million, 43,000-square foot facility will house coaches' offices, a 9,000 square-foot weight room, locker rooms, meeting rooms, an academic study lounge and 2,100 additional seats in the end zone in the front of the building. The Buddy Sasser Athletic Hall of Fame will also be a prominent feature of the new building.

Brenda Urquhart says that she and her husband were motivated to make this gift after taking stock of their family's relationship to Coastal Carolina University's past, present and future.

As the daughter of William "Spud" and Julia Spadoni, Urquhart is connected to Coastal's past through close family associations. Spadoni Park is named in memory of her brother Nicholas, who died in an accident 1981. The park has been a focal point of campus life for more than 20 years.

In 2004, as part of the 50th Anniversary Initiatives, the Spadoni family gave one of the campaign's largest gifts, $1 million, to the College of Education. As a result of this generous gift, the Spadoni College of Education is better positioned to prepare teachers for the K-12 classrooms and to develop master's degree programs. Brenda Urquhart says her service on the Coastal Educational Foundation board of directors has given her a deeper appreciation of the university's achievements as an educational institution and a partner in community projects.

In view of the progress Coastal has made in the short time since football was introduced on campus, Urquhart believes that a gift designated to the university's athletic programs is a sound investment in the future of the institution. "The visibility and momentum Coastal has achieved through football is remarkable," said Urquhart. "We want to see the football program grow in such a way that it will help Coastal realize its full potential as an institution of higher education. It is a privilege to be a part of it."