Garvey Physical Education Center Renovations
Our vision is to turn Garvey Physical Education Center into a modern athletic department by upgrading the locker rooms, training room, weight room, main lobby, administrative spaces and team meeting room.
Garvey Renovation Completion Event
Leaders from Friends University along with several distinguished guests will host a live ribbon-cutting event on Friday, Oct. 22 at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate the completion of the project. This event will be broadcast online on Friends University’s Facebook and Instagram pages. You can view photos from the original wall smash event in April that began this project below.
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How To Give
Giving to help with the renovations is easy. You can make a one-time gift or fill out our commitment form and email it back to give@friends.edu.
Our Vision
The Garvey Center is home to the Athletics Department on the Friends University campus and has served the community in many ways including a decade-long partnership with the YMCA in the 1980s. Friends University is seeking to renovate and expand the athletic spaces in the Garvey Center. Over the years, minor improvements were made to the space but the building layout is disjointed and is not conducive to a modern athletic department. To bring the Garvey Center into the 21st Century, this project focuses on five main areas: locker rooms, training room, weight room, administrative spaces/, team meeting room, and the main lobby. The sections below give a brief overview of some of the renovations and reorganization planned for those spaces.
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Phase One
Our Bold Plan
To accomplish these objectives, the Board of Trustees is launching the first phase of the RISE UP Capital Campaign; the Garvey Physical Education Center Renovation.
- New Main Entry LobbyThe current entryway does not stir much excitement or expectation. With a refreshed space, Friends sports fans will find themselves enamored by walls of trophies and past accolades in the athletic Hall of Fame. Wichita neighbors, Friends alumni and students will unite here in anticipation of the game ahead. It is also critical to update this space with handicap accessible restrooms for guests and athletes.
- Administrative Offices / Team Meeting RoomAttempting to find a coach or athletic director proves difficult on the Friends University campus. Many are spread throughout several locations outside of the Garvey Center. The renovation of the Garvey Center offers us an opportunity to create a more efficient and cohesive space for our athletic staff. With additional offices, there’s room to grow our program. The addition of a new team meeting space is also critical. Athletes and coaches come together here to collaborate on strategy for upcoming games. Many teams currently meet in science labs or lecture halls on campus. The renovation of these well-used spaces will bring new unity to our athletics program.
- Weight RoomWith the launch of the new Power Lifting Team, and the growing number of student athletics, a larger, modern weight room is by far the greatest need for the Athletic Department. All athletic teams complete their weight and conditioning training in the same small space which causes a very tight schedule. One team may start at 5:00am and another may end at midnight. The new weight room will be located in the NW corner of the building.
- New Athletic Training RoomA new larger training room will be created in the old weight room space. The installation of new equipment will allow the space to be transformed into a modern, high tech training room. This will accommodate more athletes and offer first floor accessibility for injured students who need treatment or rehabilitation.
Proposed Cost
Our Opportunity
Friends University aims to create a learning environment that goes beyond the four walls; but we also know that these walls, these buildings, are the critical launching points for educating and growing our community-minded leaders. We see these buildings, like the Garvey Center, as foundational spaces where coaches become mentors, teammates become family, where potential and growth are exceeded. We want to provide an athletic facility where the technology and functionality is up-to-date and efficient, so that future time and money is spent on fostering life-changing relationships.
Main Entry Lobby
- Demolition, drywall, paint, flooring
- Mechanical, electrical
Cost: $345,000
Administrative Spaces / Team Room
- Team Room
- Admin and offices
- Handicap restrooms
Cost: $560,000
Weight Room
- Renovated weight room
Cost: $765,000
New Training Room
- Demolition, concrete, drywall, paint
- Mechanical, plumbing and electrical
Cost: $330,000
Phase One Total Cost
Below is the cost of Garvey Center renovations included in this phase of the Rise Up campaign:
Total: $2,300,000
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Our History
Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, has continued to grow and develop through the years. Along with a high-quality education, the athletic experience at Friends goes beyond the scoreboard to foster authentic team relationships and drive enrollment. From 52 students in 1898 to approximately 1800 students today, Friends University is a strong, vital private university for Wichita and Kansas. Athletics has been an integral part of the Friends community dating as far back as 1899 when Friends fielded the first baseball team.
At Friends University we live by our R.I.S.E. values. These core values are shared by the Friends community, influencing our behaviors and attitudes:
Respect – Integrity, civility in our words and actions, regard for others.
Inclusion – A spirit of cooperation and equality.
Service – A commitment to servant leadership, caring for each other and our community.
Excellence – Giving our best to our students at all times, that we may walk truly in the light of our faith.
Campaign Leadership
- Dr. Amy Bragg Carey, President
- Brie Boulanger, Associate Vice President of Advancement
- John McLaughlin, Major Gifts Officer
- Kimberly Dugger-Attwater, Campaign Co-Chair
- Jeff Ramsey, Campaign Co-Chair
To learn more about Friends University, it’s R.I.S.E. values, mission and to meet our board of trustee members, visit our about us pages.
Wall Smash Event
On April 30, 2021, a wall smash event was held to celebrate the beginning of the Garvey Renovations! Here are a few photos from the event.
