March 13, 2008

Contact: Amy Hewes
College of Engineering
805-756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly Heating & Air Conditioning Program Receives $350,000 Challenge Grant

The Bay Area Chapter of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) board has voted unanimously to fund a challenge grant worth $350,000 for the Cal Poly Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) program.

Between November 12, 2007 and December 31, 2009, Bay Area SMACNA will match gifts to the Cal Poly Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Education Endowment from any donor - corporate, personal, non-profit or otherwise - up to $350,000. This makes for a possible total contribution of $700,000.

"We voted unanimously to approve this challenge grant for Cal Poly because we wanted to inspire others in the industry to step up and support the growth of this important program," said Gary Schwenk, Executive Vice President of Bay Area SMACNA. "We've had a relationship with Cal Poly for some time, but felt that now was the time to act and we hope others feel the same."

The endowment already received its first eligible donation, putting the HVAC&R program one seventh of the way towards its goal. John H. Wingate, Jr., a Cal Poly alumnus, donated $50,000, which SMACNA will match for a total of $100,000.

SMACNA will match donations to the endowment quarterly and Cal Poly will use the earnings from the challenge grant to support the HVAC&R program. The endowment was established in 1991 and the SMACNA challenge grant, if completely matched, will help the program reach its goal of $1,000,000.

"In this industry we rely heavily on Cal Poly engineers," said Angie Simon, Cal Poly alumnae and Vice President of the Bay Area SMACNA Board of Directors. "We believe it's important to provide support for successful HVAC&R programs, like Cal Poly's, because it is the education of these engineers that ensures our industry will continue to thrive."

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