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Ribbon cutting showcases new locker room for Warrior Football program

Fundraising campaign garners more than $860,000 for dynamic new space

Football Locker Room Ribbon Cutting

The East Stroudsburg University Foundation hosted an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at the new Warriors football locker room in Koehler Fieldhouse.

The You WIN In the Locker Room First campaign, a $750,000 fundraising initiative, was launched by the ESU Foundation and the Department of Athletics on Oct. 8, 2020. The campaign kicked off with a virtual event that invited more than 100 alumni and friends of the program to learn more about the project. A 17-member fundraising committee was tasked with reaching out to alumni and friends, led by co-chairs Pat Flaherty ’78 and Mike Terwilliger ’78. The campaign surpassed its goal and raised over $860,000 in six months.

Rich Santoro, executive director of the ESU Foundation, said the swiftness of the fundraising shows the dedication and loyalty of ESU alumni. "To hit our goal at the six-month mark is pretty much unheard of. The football program is close-knit group of alumni and we had more than 200 former players donate from every generation, the 1960's through recent graduates in 2020, helped make this new locker room a reality.”

Located in what was the visitor’s locker room, the upgraded facility includes 30-inch wide, open cherry-wood lockers with LED lighting, replacing the existing grey metal lockers, a cell phone charging station, an equipment drying system on top of each locker, and a speaker system. The entire facility is named the Coach Jack Gregory ’52 Football Locker Room in honor of ESU’s former head coach. The space also includes eight named areas, including the academic center where players can work on assignments, and coaches' space. All the lockers have been sold and contain a plaque bearing the name of a campaign donor.

"Everybody involved with this project was committed to creating a space that reflects both pride of place, and pride of people who occupy that place," said Warriors head coach Jimmy Terwilliger ’07. "The football alumni are extremely proud and will do what they have to do to help our team contend for championships."

The reveal of the new locker room took place before the Warriors Football spring game at Gregory-Douds Field at Eiler-Martin Stadium later Saturday.

CLICK HERE to see photos from the event.