Campus News
June 3rd, 2025
Garrett College launches Athletics Capital Campaign
Don and Liz Morin provide lead gift to sustain Lakers' athletics expansion
Photo by Chad Yoder
Don and Liz Morin have pledged a lead gift in the Garrett College Foundation's Athletics Capital Campaign, which was launched Tuesday morning at the semi-annual President's Circle event. The gift renamed the Garrett College gym, which will now be known as the Morin Family Gymnasium. Pictured, left to right, are Garrett College Foundation Executive Director Cherie Krug, Liz Morin, Don Morin, and Garrett College President Dr. Richard Midcap.
Garrett College announced a new capital campaign – and a pair of lead donors – at Tuesday morning's Garrett College Foundation President's Circle breakfast.
GC's latest campaign will support the College's expanding intercollegiate athletics program. The College and the Foundation have committed to raising $1.1 million to augment public funding and provide needed locker rooms, training and rehabilitation space, and conference and office space, as well as constructing a wrestling room for the College's wrestling program.
The College is repurposing the 700 Building – which housed the old auditorium and the spaces where the Business Office and art program resided – to provide the needed athletic facilities. The project will also relocate the art program to a renovated space in the 600 Building.
Garrett College has doubled both the number of athletic teams and its student-athlete headcount over the past five years. More than 160 students participated in over seven intercollegiate sports during the 2024-25 academic year, with men's soccer set to become the eighth Laker team this fall.
"Expanding our intercollegiate athletic program was both a fiscal and a campus community initiative," said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College's president.
"The vast majority of our athletes are out-of-county and out-of-state students who pay premium tuition rates and provide residence hall income, which helps the College provide a wide range of programs and services for Garrett County students," Midcap continued. "Just as important, athletes from other areas of the state, other regions of the country, and other places around the world help the College create a richer, more vibrant campus environment for all of our students."
Midcap then announced the campaign's first pair of lead donors – Don and Liz Morin. The former owners of Garrett Container Systems, the Morins previously provided gifts to the College's STEM and Performing Arts Center campaigns.
"Don and Liz clearly understand the College's central role in our community," said Midcap. "I appreciate their desire to help us launch this campaign, which is so crucial to the College's long-term success."
The Morins' gift will name the College gymnasium. The facility will be known as the Morin Family Gymnasium.
"We know the value intercollegiate athletics brings to the college community. We're very happy to participate in this campaign, which will help fund needed facility upgrades for our athletic teams," said Don Morin, who served a dozen years on the Garrett College Board of Trustees, including six terms as chair.
"Garrett College is a valuable resource offering our local and regional high school students a springboard to a successful future and a center of continuing education and physical fitness programs for our community," said Liz Morin, a former member of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. "We are thrilled to support Dr. Midcap's vision to expand the intercollegiate athletics program, attract talented students, and enrich the College and the community."
Cherie Krug, executive director of the Garrett College Foundation, said the Morin gift provides significant campaign momentum right out of the gate.
"Their lead gift, as well as three other major gifts during the campaign's silent phase, has permitted us to raise nearly a quarter of the goal before the campaign's official launch," said Krug, noting $270,000 has already been committed via pre-launch gifts.
The campaign has already received three other naming gifts – two by retired insurance agent and former GC Board of Trustees member Rob Michael, and one from the estate of Ginny Neff.
Midcap said the Foundation campaign will augment funding already acquired from Garrett County Government.
"Our County Commissioners – honestly, the most supportive county government in the State of Maryland – have committed $3.5 million to this project," said Midcap, noting the renovation is projected to cost about $4 million.
"This campaign will complete the funding needed to fully renovate the facility, as well as furnish and equip it," added Midcap. "It will also begin to develop a fund to replace the current turf field when that becomes necessary down the road."
Don Morin, who chaired the Board of Trustees during the College's previous capital campaigns, said the community spirit that drove those initiatives will again be critical to this campaign's success.
"Our campaigns to build and fund the Offutt STEM Center and the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College were only successful due to the community's commitment to these important initiatives," said Morin. "I feel the same will be the case with the College's intercollegiate athletics capital campaign."
For more information about the campaign, please contact the Garrett College Foundation at 301.387.3100.
