The campaign to renew and expand the Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre received a significant boost recently with a transformational $1 million gift from international alumnus and world-renowned property developer Justin Chiu to name the University’s outdoor stadium.

The Justin Chiu Stadium boasts an artificial grass field, new track, bleacher seating for 1,000 people, a score board, an outdoor sound system, and a fully-serviced press box able to support live broadcasts and web-casting. The stadium is a focal point of the new Centre, which offers all users a full-spectrum indoor and outdoor athletics and recreation experience unparalleled anywhere in the region.

“I take great pride in being part of the Trent/Peterborough community. I had excellent, sweet memories here in the 1970s and I am sure there will be more in the future,” Mr. Chiu said, adding, “This new sport and recreation centre is an exciting addition to the community and will help build even stronger ties between the University and the surrounding region. It will also bring further international profile to Trent as more and more national and international events are drawn to the modern, state-of-the-art facilities.”

This is the second $1 million gift Mr. Chiu has donated to Trent. The first was made in May 2009 to create two new endowed funds at the University – the Justin Chiu International Scholarship and the Rita Chiu Study Abroad Bursaries.
“Justin Chiu is one of Trent’s most treasured international alumni and a great supporter of the University,” said Dianne Lister, vice president of External Relations and Advancement. “Mr. Chiu’s most recent pace-setting philanthropic gift demonstrates just how much his Trent experience meant to him and naming the stadium in his honour is a perfect tribute. The new Trent Community Sport and Recreation Centre is a truly remarkable facility and thanks to the generosity of donors like Mr. Chiu, it will be accessible to all members of our community for years and years to come.”

Justin Chiu graduated from Trent in 1978 with a joint degree in Sociology and Economics. In his native Hong Kong, where he is the current executive director of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, he is described as one of the most inspired and innovative property developers in the city. Under his leadership, Cheung Kong (Holdings) has become the #1 property seller in Hong Kong for many years in a row; this remarkable achievement has earned him the title “The God of Property.” Mr. Chiu is known as a man with many interests – balancing 30 years of international experience in real estate with activities like motorcycle riding, skiing and paragliding. He is also the chairman of ARA Asset Management Limited, the Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust and the Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust. Since 2003, he has acted as an external advisor to the Chinese government through the Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Sport, Recreation & Wellness for All Campaign Update

Mr. Chiu’s generous donation, combined with other gifts and investments, including a $1 million commitment from the City of Peterborough, brings the total raised to date for Trent’s Sport, Recreation & Wellness for All Campaign to over $2.9 million. The total fundraising goal for the campaign, which supports the renewal and expansion of the new Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre, is $4 million and is part of a $16 million Board of Governors-approved plan for new construction and refurbishment at the University. Heading into its final months, the campaign is now at 72 per cent of goal.

As the only athletics and recreation facility in the growing north end of the City of Peterborough, the new Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre provides vital wellness services to all residents, including seniors and older adults, children, youth-at-risk, persons with disabilities, and the local workforce. Unique and innovative features of the new Centre include: North America’s most advanced indoor combination rowing/paddling tank, an indoor climbing wall, 12,000 sq. ft. cardio loft and weight room, warm therapy pool, expanded therapy clinic, and a complete makeover of the pool.

An official public opening of the new Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre is scheduled for Saturday, October 2, 2010 during the 40th anniversary of Head of the Trent. For details about the opening and for more information about the campaign and the Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre, visit the website.