The Greenawalt Legacy: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Kent Greenawalt, president and CEO of Foot Levelers, Inc., announced recently that Foot Levelers will extend a $500,000 challenge grant to the Northwestern community in addition to his recent $1 million donation. He announced at the Stars Among Us Gala in early November that, “Foot Levelers is going to put forth a $500,000 challenge. For every dollar you give Northwestern, we will match it up to $500,000.” He went on to say, “Isn’t it the right thing to do to support an institution? What better investment can you make than in the mind of a young person?”

Greenawalt has a long history of giving to Northwestern. In 1989, his company, Foot Levelers, founded by Kent’s father Monte Greenawalt, donated $450,000 to fund Northwestern’s Greenawalt Research Chair. Six years later, Foot Levelers provided another $410,000 grant to fund the Greenawalt Library. The Monte Greenawalt Foundation also donated $1 million to Northwestern in 2007, including a $500,000 gift and a $500,000 challenge grant which helped fund the Wolfe-Harris Center for Excellence.

Greenawalt takes pride in the institution that he has worked so passionately for. “I can think back 25-30 years and say, ‘Wow, have we done something great!’” says Greenawalt. “Personally,” he says, “I am most proud of the people here, because the people make it happen.”

The people at Northwestern have been able to “make it happen” partly because of the generous donations Greenawalt has given to the University over the years. According to Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern, “Greenawalt’s support has been significant in our ability to sustain program quality based on excellence.”

The funds for the current challenge grant will go toward the Capital Campaign. The exact plan for the challenge grant is still in the works, but should be on its way with the start of the new year. Dr. Zeigler says, “This donation will help us to continue to provide students with the best possible education in a marketplace that demands successful students.”