Northern moves closer to football stadium goal

Three new donations are bringing Montana State University-Northern closer to the goal line in it’s project to build a football stadium to house Northern’s Lights.

The MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation announced Monday that Russell and Jennifer Keller, John and Sarah Eisenbarth and D.A. Davidson have brought the fundraising for the project to nearly $2.6 million, leaving $450,000 to raise by spring to begin construction.

“This project has never just been about football, but about creating long-term positive impacts for the university and the Havre community as a whole,” said MSU-Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel. “The gifts from the Kellers, Eisenbarths and D.A. Davidson show that our alumni, friends, and partners understand that and are excited about what the future holds for Northern.”

Several years ago, Northern started looking at building a football stadium and multi-use sports and education complex that could house classrooms, practice space, an events center and more.

Kegel formally announced the fundraising efforts in September.

The first phase, for which the current fundraising is being done, is to build the stadium in the practice fields west of Cowan Hall and Hagener Science Center, with Northern planning to seek funding to expand the project to build a sports complex in the future

Kellers, both Northern alumni and former student athletes, said the connection they have to the university and Havre is still strong.

“It has been almost 20 years since Jennifer and I last wore our Lights and Skylights jerseys,” Russell Keller, president of O.J. Pipelines based in Nisku, Alberta, Canada, said in the release. “The university, the athletic program, and the Havre community gave us so much, and we are grateful to help provide opportunities for young athletes to have that same experience.”

The release said that desire to give back and to pay it forward also motivated Eisenbarths to contribute $25,000. They are from Woodinville, Washington, and their son, Jared, plays tight end for the Lights. While that means the stadium project is personal, it is also about supporting the Havre community as a whole.

“This project means so much to the university and to the city of Havre, not just the football program,” John Eisenbarth said in the relase. “The stadium will be a strong foundation to continue to build on, bringing all in the community together and set the stage for many more good things to come.”

People who want to support the stadium project can contact the MSU-Northern Foundation at 265-3711 or visit http:www.northernalumnifoundation.org .