PROVIDENCE – Providence College has received a $1 million donation from Chicago Blackhawks owner William Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz to support the college’s field hockey program.
PC says the funds from the gift will support the team with travel, game costs, recruiting, professional development, supplies, summer tuition and coaches’ salaries, among other covered costs.
The donation is the largest such gift for a women’s athletic program in PC’s history, the college said.
The Wirtz family has a connection to PC and its field hockey program. Hillary Wirtz, director of diversity and inclusion for her family’s company, Breakthru Beverage Group in Illinois, played field hockey for PC before graduating in 2001.
The $1 million gift is the second gift the Wirtz family provided to PC’s field hockey program. Wirtz donated funds to the program in 2017 that were used for player development, PC said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
