Dan Rea, the reporter and broadcaster best known for his WBZ radio show NightSide, has made a “substantial” gift to UMass Boston to “renovate and endow the weight room” in the Clark Athletic Center. Rea is a 1970 graduate of Boston State College, which later merged with UMass Boston, and a member of the university’s Hall of Fame.The 3,300-square-foot space on the Dorchester campus will open in August.

“We are deeply grateful to Dan for his vision and generosity of heart,” said UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “As our Beacons return to classrooms and competition in the fall, the Rea Varsity Training Facility will provide an unparalleled boost of confidence after the most challenging year in recent history.”

The planned improvements include acquiring and installing new equipment, flooring, large ceiling fans for better air circulation, and paint to freshen the walls.  The remaining funds will establish an endowment to maintain the weight room over time.  The gift is the first endowment for the Division of Athletics and Recreation in UMass Boston history.

“Athletics improve our world because whatever our differences, fair competition fosters mutual respect both on and off the fields of play,” Rea said.
For more information about the Dan Rea ’70 Boston State College Varsity Training Facility and to hear Dan on the “Behind the Beacon” podcast, visit beaconsathletics.com/danRea.