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.” |