L. Gale Lemerand, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, just donated $1.4 million to Bethune-Cookman University. The university stated it will use the funds to renovate two athletics buildings, the Academic Multiplex and Football Complex. They will name both facilities after Lemerand.

“Mr. Lemerand's generosity and commitment to furthering education in the state of Florida can't be overstated,” said Bethune-Cookman president and provost Dr. William Berry. “He has been a friend of the university for many years now, and we are incredibly thankful for his kindness and investment in ensuring our students have access to the best facilities possible.”

This is not the first time Lemerand has donated to the Florida HBCU. In 2007, he donated money to help build the L. Gale Lemerand School of Nursing. Now, the CEO of Stonewood Holdings sets his sights on improving the athletics structures on campus.

“When Coach Alvin Wyatt called me, I had to find some time to listen to him, and I came out and learned a bunch of good things about what is going on at this fine university,” Lemerand said. “When there [are] problems in any organization, whether it's a college or whether it's a business organization, there's a lot of publicity about that. But there's very little publicity when things start to turn around through the hard work of the current executives of this and the management of this great university. When I found out the things that have been happening behind the scenes and all the improvement and hard work that's gone into it, it just made me feel that I just needed to do something.”

“This is a transformative day for Bethune-Cookman University and B-CU Athletics,” said Bethune-Cookman athletic director Reggie Theus. “This type of contribution will allow us to directly improve the quality of the student-athlete experience at Bethune-Cookman University as we continue to build champions on the field and in the classroom here in Daytona Beach.”

After the renovation, Bethune-Cookman's football team will be the first to take full advantage of the revamped Football Complex. The new facilities will serve as a sort of reimagining of the Wildcats' football program as they head into their second year under head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. They had a rough season last year, finishing 3-8 and 2-6 in the SWAC. They had an early statement win over Savannah State, then back-to-back conference victories over Mississippi Valley State and an upset against Alabama A&M. The Wildcats kick off their 2024 home opener against Mercer University on Sept. 7.

“The entire B-CU community appreciates the support of Mr. L. Gale Lemerand,” said chair of Bethune-Cookman's Board of Trustees Belvin Perry Jr. “This transformative gift will benefit current and future students and is a testament to the enduring values and legacy of our founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.