JACKRABBIT ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PLANNED GIFT

South Dakota State graduate and longtime equipment manager Sonja Anderson has recently made a significant contribution to Jackrabbit athletics in the form of an endowed fund for women's athletics.

The Sonja K. Anderson Endowment for Women's Athletics Excellence will be established to support equipment operations for all Jackrabbit women's teams. The fund will be used to assist in budgetary and operations needs. It is the largest planned gift specific to women's athletics in department history.

In addition to Anderson's planned gift, the current Jackrabbit equipment room will be renovated alongside the ongoing First Bank & Trust Arena project. Equipment room renovations will feature improved laundry equipment, upgraded storage and improved accessibility for Anderson and the rest of the equipment room staff. Upon completion, it will be named the Sonja K. Anderson Equipment Room.

Anderson ('88) has been working in the equipment room for nearly 15 years, but her love for the Jackrabbits spans longer than her time as an employee. She has been a season ticket holder at Frost Arena since the 1990s and has fond memories of attending games with her friends, especially Ruth and Leroy Anderson.

Anderson says one of her favorite parts of Frost Arena has always been the community formed in the stands among fans that became friends as they attended games together year after year.

In 2008, Anderson was seeking a career change when she came across Keith Mahlum in the community. Mahlum, now the Vice President of Development at the SDSU Foundation, recommended she apply for an open position in the equipment room at South Dakota State and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, Anderson works hard behind the scenes to prepare teams for practice and competition in a variety of ways.

The best part of Anderson's job, she says, goes beyond the equipment operations.

"I really enjoy visiting with the student-athletes and getting to know them," said Anderson. "You make a lot of really cool connections with them and things you have in common. It's a family here, it really is. I feel like you hear that a lot of places, but when we say it here, we really mean it. When [the women's basketball team] won the WNIT, we were all a part of it. They were saying, 'Sonja you need your picture taken with this trophy' because they wanted me to be part of it."

SDSU Director of Athletics Justin Sell spoke to Anderson's passion for her work and the influence of her gift.

"We are so fortunate to have Sonja on our team. Not only is she a valued member of our department, but she is also an avid SDSU fan who deeply cares for our student-athletes. This generous gift will allow her impact to be felt by generations of future Jackrabbits. Sonja's contribution becomes even more meaningful as we reflect on the 50th anniversary of Title IX and how much this will impact our women's programs."

Anderson's family farm, previously owned by her late parents, Russell and Candace, is a catalyst for this gift.

About Frost Arena
Frost Arena has served as the home of Jackrabbit basketball, volleyball and wrestling since opening in February 1973. The facility also has hosted countless campus events over the past 50 years, including graduation ceremonies, concerts, lectures, conventions and academic fairs.

About First Bank & Trust Arena
Construction and renovation on First Bank & Trust Arena began recently with Henry Carlson Company serving as the contractor-at-risk. The Arena project, which is expected to take two years to complete, is part of the SDSU Foundation's Bold & Blue campaign, which is the largest comprehensive campaign in South Dakota State University's history.

-GoJacks.com-

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JACKRABBIT ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PLANNED GIFT

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