FROM CBHOF PRESS RELEASE
LUBBOCK, TX — The National College Baseball Hall of Fame has been based in Lubbock since its founding in 2004. However, today, the dream of a permanent home devoted to recognizing and preserving the history of the game takes a major step toward becoming reality.
The Moody Foundation, based in Galveston, awarded the Hall of Fame a $5 million capital cam- paign grant. The grant brings the total raised toward the campaign to approximately $7 million, not including the value of the land committed by the City of Lubbock. The total campaign goal is $13 million, with $9 million needed for facility construction and a $4 million endowment.
“This is a momentous day for our organization,” said Mike Gustafson, executive director of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. “This is a huge step forward for the capital campaign and the mis- sion of the museum.”
Supporting the College Baseball Hall of Fame and its mission of preservation and education was a natural fit for the foundation, said Frances Moody-Dahlberg, executive director of the Moody Foundation.
“The Moody Foundation has a long history of activities in Lubbock,” she said. “The timing couldn’t be more perfect to support the College Baseball Hall of Fame given the Moody history with baseball and economic development. The trustees and staff of the foundation are proud to support this important project.”
Although the grant from the Moody Foundation is vital to the success of the capital campaign, local success also has been crucial, said Jana Howser, Hall of Fame vice president of development.
“Generous support from within Lubbock, across Texas, and around the country are all important components in realizing this national treasure,” Howser said. “The decision by the Moody Foun- dation to grant $5 million dollars is spectacular. We are immensely grateful for their generous decision and are excited about the road ahead.”
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be dedicated to preserving the arti- facts and stories that tell the history of college baseball and to providing educational opportunities for visitors. The Hall of Fame complex also will include a baseball field for youth tournaments and other amateur baseball events.
“We look so forward to providing a world-class facility,” Howser said. “The Moody Foundation Board of Trustees embraces the necessity of a proper national hall of fame that will educate the extraordinary history of college baseball.”
