IU Athletics Announces Major Gift by Hancock Hiltunen Caito Family to 'For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign' in support of IU Athletics Excellence Academy

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University Athletics announced a major gift by the Hancock Hiltunen Caito family today in support of the IU Athletics Excellence Academy being constructed in the south end zone of Memorial Stadium. The significant commitment given by Dena Rae Hancock and Philip Robert "Rob" Caito will be recognized with a critical space in the Excellence Academy being named for their family.

"IU Athletics extends our deepest thanks to Dena Rae Hancock and Rob Caito for their extraordinary generous gift to establish the Hancock Hiltunen Caito Center for Leadership and Life Skills," IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass said. "Their generosity will help prepare every IU student who participates in intercollegiate athletics for life after graduation. The Hancock Hiltunen Caito Center for Leadership and Life Skills is central to the mission of the Excellence Academy and will be a model for other institutions to follow. Their investment in the personal growth and development of our students will truly impact lives and change the world."

The Indiana University Excellence Academy will be the foundation of IU Athletics' promise to its students. It will offer them comprehensive support with the use of cutting-edge technology; protect their health, safety and wellness; maximize their athletic potential; help them develop leadership and life skills; and build a culture of trust and respect. The academy is a living embodiment of IU's Student-Athlete Bill of Rights – an environment where IU Athletics can serve its scholars in mind, body and spirit, while preparing them to be successful in life outside the university.

The Hancock Hiltunen Caito Center for Leadership and Life Skills will offer multi-purpose space and offices dedicated to leadership development, service learning, and career development for students who participate in collegiate athletics at IU.

The official Excellence Academy groundbreaking is set for later this month.

"For our students, the Spirit of Indiana is not just a creed, but it is a way of life," Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Excellence Academy Mattie White said. "Rob, Dena Rae and their family truly embody all of the elements that we strive to teach our students daily. They set an example that we hope our students aspire to achieve when they finish their career at Indiana University. We are tremendously honored to have this facility named after them. Most importantly we are grateful for their commitment to the development of our students who participate intercollegiate athletics."

HANCOCK HILTUNEN CAITO CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS

Dena Rae and Rob are both Indiana University graduates and continue to be actively involved with IU's philanthropic efforts to better the future of their alma mater.

"As we are paying it forward, it is our prayer that this foundation we are helping to establish will offer exceptional and exponential opportunity for our Hoosier athletes to be most prepared for leadership and giving—with giving and paying it forward as their highest goals for their continued personal growth and development."

Dena Rae earned her degrees in 1992 in education and political science. She made her mark during her undergraduate years at Indiana University as the IU Bloomington student body President. She was instrumental in helping build legislative support for the construction of the Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC). Dena Rae is currently an active member of the Women's Philanthropy Leadership Council, the IU Faculty Athletics Committee, lifetime member of the IUAA, School of Education Alumni Board Director and Varsity Club National Board Director.

Rob graduated from the Kelley School of Business in 1990 with a degree in business management and organizational theory with an entrepreneurial tract while also earning a minor in sociology. As an undergraduate at IU, Rob was a member and section leader of the Marching Hundred Drumline. He also was a treasurer in Read Residence Hall, was a Scuba Club member, Gymnastics Club member and was a graduate of the Bloomington Entrepreneurship Academy. Currently, Rob is working towards his MBA through the Kelley School of Business, is an IU Foundation Well House Society Board Member, a lifetime member of the IUAA and is a board member for the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

"Through our respective upbringing and association with IU Bloomington, we have realized many blessings in our lives," Dena Rae and Rob said. "Mutually, we are fully committed to Fred Glass' and his team's vision and efforts as well as First Lady Laurie Burns' and President Michael McRobbie's visions and goals—both realized and set—in developing IUB into a prominent global center for excellence in developing and shaping our world. Our gift's intent and framework continues their collective efforts by establishing the Leadership and Life Skills Center in which a program will be in place for all IU student-athletes to have access to learning financial literacy, leadership and philanthropy. "

For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign is taking place on all IU-administered campuses including IU Bloomington, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in December 2019 to coincide with IU's bicentennial year celebration in 2020. To learn more about the campaign, its impact, and how to participate, please visit forall.iu.edu.

IU Athletics Announces Major Gift by Hancock Hiltunen Caito Family to 'For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign' in support of IU Athletics Excellence Academy

Related Videos