Late Frater Donates $1 Million to Eureka College
EUREKA, Ill. - A Eureka College alumnus' widow is donating $1 million to the small private school, providing funds for the construction of a fitness center and four annual scholarships for freshmen.
Christine Bonati Bollwinkle of Dunlap donated the money in memory of her husband, Frater Ronald P. Bonati (Iota Chapter), as well as her friend Mary Jo Finch, both of whom graduated from Eureka in the 1960s.
"This is the largest single gift from a living donor in the history of Eureka College," said David Arnold, president of the liberal arts college that sits halfway between Bloomington and Peoria.
"Fitness is important for every student, not just student athletes," he said.
The addition to Eureka will strengthen that message to students, he said, and also provide Eureka residents a spot to use state-of-the-art exercise equipment.
The 1,500-square-foot Bonati Fitness Center will be constructed on the front of the Reagan Physical Education Center.
Peoria Metro Construction expects to break ground on the project this month, and completion is targeted for April, said Arnold.
The center will hold at least 30 pieces of aerobic and strength training equipment, including specialized components and general equipment, such as treadmills, he said.
The center will feature 15 pieces of cardio equipment and 15 pieces of strength equipment, said Sandy Schuster, Eureka athletic director.
"This isn't geared specifically to athletes, though they definitely will benefit from the center," said Schuster, who also is a Eureka instructor and women's basketball coach. "The idea is we're going to make this accessible for students, faculty, staff and the community."
The equipment can be used for regular exercise routines or therapeutic situations or adapted to accommodate certain disabilities, she said.
She also expects physical education majors, athletic training majors and fitness leadership majors to use the fitness center as a hands-on classroom.
"We plan to get (these) majors involved in writing individualized workout programs, and then the equipment will actually guide folks through their workouts," she said.
Arnold said Eureka leaders are geared up for the new exercise area, but no less excited by the scholarship funding Bollwinkle has provided.
"That's a big part of what makes our college affordable to students," he said.
The four, $6,000 scholarships will be named for Bonati and Finch and will be awarded annually to freshmen interested in fitness and music, respectively.
Frater Bonati, 60 at the time of his death in 1999, was vice president of the North America Commercial Division at Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria.
As a student, he played on the football team and was initiated into the Iota Chapter in 1958.
Bonati maintained his connection to the college after graduation, and later served on the college's board of trustees.
Adapted from The Patagraph student newspaper, author Michele Steinbacher. If you would like to see your chapter news here, contact Communications Coordinator Tom McAninch.