UA looking to net donations for outdoor basketball courts

As the Undergraduate Assembly basketball court project enters its final stage, the body is looking for ways to come up with its share of the bill. The cost of the new courts on the roof of the parking garage at 38th and Spruce streets is estimated to be about $100,000. The UA has already allocated $20,000 from its annual budget, but members hope to raise another $60,000 in donations. To reach this goal, the UA is sending a letter to Penn alumni, trying to elicit donations for the project. The University will foot the money for the rest of the bill, contributing however much the UA needs to reach the total. Wharton sophomore Ethan Kay, Student Life Committee chairman, and College senior Alex Moskowitz, Facilities Committee chairman, are the UA members in charge of the project. A preliminary draft of the letter was presented at a UA meeting two weeks ago, and the final draft will be presented for approval at the upcoming Sunday night meeting. The letter is only being sent to six to eight alumni who have some connection or love for basketball. "We're looking for donors who are either passionate about basketball or have involved it into their careers somehow," Kay said. "The courts will be built regardless of whether or not we get additional money," Kay added. "All the money we get will go into a pot and collectively it will support the project. There is no specific area of construction it is going to fund." In consideration of the subject matter, the final draft of the letter, according to Kay, utilizes a slightly different approach than a typical letter would. The last paragraph of the letter contains a small anecdote asking alumni not to let the "freshman 15" turn into the "freshman 30" without the presence of the new basketball courts. "We did it in a cute way that is both tasteful and fun so it will appeal to them," Kay noted. "The project is very unique and because of this fact I think it will strike a cord with the philanthropic alumni." The plea also focuses on what Kay calls the "innovativeness" of the project. "We're in a city where space is a hot commodity and a premium," Kay said. "We have found a way to take the rooftop of a garage and make it into a place where Penn students will want to go to spend their free time." And Kay also stressed the need for the alumni to positively respond to the letter. "There is a dire need on Penn's campus for extended outdoor recreation," Kay said. "It's a good outlet for students when they are studying during the warm weather months." Pending approval from the UA, the letter will be sent to the Alumni Relations office for the final OK. Alumni will be contacted within the next two weeks.