DWAYNE JOHNSON AND DANY GARCIA JOHNSON MAKE MILLION DOLLAR GIFT
Oct. 2, 2007
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football locker room will soon have a new name thanks to a major gift by two prominent alumni.
Film actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (B.G.S ’95) and Dany Garcia Johnson (B.B.A ’92), founder of the Miami based wealth management firm JDM Partners and a member of the UM Board of Trustees have given the athletic department a gift of $1 million as part of the ongoing Football Facilities Renovation Fund. In recognition of their gift, the football locker room will be named the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Locker Room. This is the largest donation ever by former Miami student-athletes to the athletic department.
“This very generous gesture by the Johnsons is just another example of their support of the University of Miami,” said Head Football Coach Randy Shannon. “Every time one of our players walks through the door into the locker room, they will be reminded of what UM has meant to Dwayne and Dany and reinforce their commitment to the Hurricane family.”
“We are excited to continue this legacy of excellence by making a contribution that will propel our student-athletes to greater achievement, whether on the field, in the board room or on the silver screen,” Dwayne Johnson said of the gift. “I have said it time and time again that this program was a launching pad for my success. The discipline, skill and intense commitment to succeed on the football field helped mold me into the man I am today and I am grateful for that experience.”
The Football Facilities Renovation Fund, which is part of the Sprint for Hurricane Athletics Campaign, collects monies to be used at the discretion of Head Coach Randy Shannon to enhance and update technology and renovate a wide range of football facilities including the locker room, coaches’ offices, team meeting rooms and conference rooms.
Both Johnsons were student-athletes while attending the University of Miami. Dany was a member of the rowing team while Dwayne was a defensive lineman on the football team from 1991-1994. The 1991 team went undefeated and became the third Hurricane team to win the national championship.
The Sprint for Hurricane Athletics Campaign is an initiative to raise in excess of $70 million over the next three years to strengthen and secure the future of UM’s student athletes. These funds will be used to transform the athletic department through the creation of new scholarships, the construction and renovation of key facilities and the expansion of endowed scholarships and annual giving.
