Orono, Maine – UMaine Athletics has received a gift of $1 million to support the Athletics Facilities Master Plan, part of the University of Maine System Transforms campaign. The generous gift was made by Rod Sparrow (’71) and will support the football program’s capital improvements including new coaches and team offices, meeting rooms, and provide Sparrow with the naming rights to the new office facility.
 
“We couldn’t be more grateful to Rod and the Sparrow family for their significant support of our transformational campaign and the Black Bear football program,” says Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development, Seth Woodcock. “Rod represents all we stand for in UMaine Athletics; he is humble, hardworking, positive and has a team first attitude. Rod’s early gift to our campaign reinforces his value in true leadership and the pride and love he has for his alma mater is palpable to all from the first day you meet him. Simply put, we are lucky to have folks like Rod Sparrow as part of our Black Bear family and we are humbled to have his philanthropic support.” 
 
“On behalf of Black Bear fans everywhere, I want to thank Rod and his family for their support of our student athletes,” added University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Their generosity will help us bring best-in-class facilities to the University of Maine that will welcome everyone to our state’s flagship campus.”
 
Sparrow, a former UMaine Football student-athlete, graduated from the University of Maine in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Sparrow is the former President and CEO of Leaktite Corporation, a manufacturing company based out of Leominster, Mass.

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