Spoon River College’s gymnasium now has a new name – the MidAmerica National Bank Gymnasium.
The name change is part of a long-term sponsorship agreement between Spoon River College, the Spoon River College Foundation, and MidAmerica National Bank. The agreement includes a 20-year naming rights period in exchange for a significant gift from MidAmerica to the SRC Foundation.
“MidAmerica National Bank (MNB) has valued our longstanding partnership with Spoon River College (SRC) and the SRC Foundation,” said Mitch Coonradt, Vice President at MNB and chair of the Foundation from 2018-2021. “The last few years have been pivotal to the future of SRC. The addition of affordable on-campus student housing, state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Building, and a baseball and softball complex has made SRC a premier choice for many students in our area. It is my opinion, with the addition of these assets, SRC has been thrust into a Renaissance period as the College continues to provide one of the best community college experiences inside and outside of the classroom. MNB is very grateful for the opportunity to support an organization like SRC. MNB believes SRC is a vital part of our communities and looks forward to the success of SRC and the students it serves.”
The gymnasium joins the MidAmerica National Bank Conference Hall in SRC’s Macomb Outreach Center, which was so named following a gift from MNB approximately ten years ago.
“MNB has consistently been one of the college’s biggest supporters and largest donors for decades. MNB also consistently demonstrates leadership in the community through all of the local causes it supports,” said Curt Oldfield, President of SRC. “Whether it’s their Senior of the Month promotions across the area, their support of the Canton High School Band, their annual fireworks fundraisers, or a gift of this magnitude to SRC, their support of local causes proves that they believe in our local communities, and we’re grateful for their generosity and appreciate the chance to partner with them on so many projects to provide excellent educational opportunities to our communities.”
MidAmerica National Bank President/CEO Rick Klinedinst praised SRC in return.
“MidAmerica values the longstanding relationship between Spoon River College and their Foundation,” said Klinedinst, who is also a graduate of SRC. “I have always considered SRC the heartbeat of our communities, as they play a vital part in the quality of life in our markets. We have sponsored many activities and projects throughout the years and this latest request was one of the most important to continue that heartbeat and their permanence in our communities. SRC has touched so many lives since they began, and this new project will make their ripple effect even wider and stronger. We never hesitate to partner with SRC and look forward to their continued success.”
MNB’s generous gift was utilized in part to help launch the inaugural seasons for the reboot of SRC’s women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Thanks to gifts from MNB and other friends of SRC, the three new teams had successful inaugural seasons. The Snappers’ men’s basketball team was particularly successful in their first year, earning a co-conference championship and a national ranking as high as eighth during the season. The Snappers featured one All-American (T.C. Wright), two all-region players (Wright and Dailiss Cox), and the Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the year, Chance Jones.
Additionally, funds are being utilized to help seed new fundraising initiatives for the SRC Foundation and helping the SRC Foundation get back in touch with SRC alumni.
“The SRC Board of Trustees entrusted the Foundation with securing the resources to re-launch these athletics programs to help draw more students to SRC both locally and beyond, and we couldn’t have made it happen without MNB’s generous commitment and belief in our vision,” said Colin Davis, Executive Director of the SRC Foundation. “The additional fundraising initiatives will allow us to expand our prospective donor pool and bring in new funds to help us provide resources to SRC and its students. MNB’s generosity literally transforms our direction and puts us on a path to success for decades to come.”
As conditions allow, MidAmerica National Bank Gymnasium will host athletics games and practices, student recreation, athletic events in partnership with local high schools and traveling teams, SRC commencement exercises, and other events. As COVID-19 restrictions continue, fan capacity information will be communicated on an event-by-event basis.
These naming rights extend solely to the gymnasium. Naming rights to the Spoon River College Multi-Purpose Building, which contains the gymnasium, other facilities within the building, and other facilities on all SRC campuses and centers are available. Additionally, advertising opportunities within MidAmerica National Bank Gymnasium are available, with funds benefitting Snapper athletic programs. Interested businesses, individuals, or organizations may inquire with the SRC Foundation. Please note that, while a range of options are available, all naming rights opportunities are guided by the Naming Rights Policy jointly approved by the SRC Board of Trustees and the SRC Foundation Board.
To learn more about SRC, the SRC Foundation, and MNB, please visit www.src.edu, www.src.edu/foundation, and www.midnatbank.com.
Members of MidAmerica National Bank’s executive team and SRC/SRC Foundation leadership unveil the MidAmerica National Bank Gynmasium. Front: Tom Claudon, Susan Miller, Mitchell Coonradt (former SRC Foundation Chair), Jan Dowell; Back: Bob Watkins, Tom Sandman, Rick Klinedinst, Curt Oldfield (SRC President), Colin Davis (SRC Foundation Executive Director), Rick Imhoff.