Aug 17, 2010 9:17:40 AM

Albright College has received a $1 million gift to build a new multisport practice field and to launch the college's new men's and women's varsity lacrosse programs.

The gift will create a new practice field for lacrosse and other sports and recreational activities, as well as underwrite the operational costs for the first three years of the lacrosse programs (including personnel and equipment).

The gift is from the John K. Roessner III Trust. Roessner, an Albright trustee and alumnus, is the president of EJB Real Estate Associates Ltd. For nearly four decades he was the president and chair of E.J. Brooks Company, the world's leading manufacturer of indicative and barrier security seals for electric utilities, transportation, government and healthcare.

About the gift, Roessner said, "Lacrosse has become a really popular sport and students have asked for it. It is an immediate need and I'm delighted I can help this portion of Albright's strategic plan."

Lacrosse has been a club sport at Albright since 1994. Both men's and women's teams will remain at the club level for the 2010-11 academic year. The varsity teams will be able to play in fall 2011 and compete in their first varsity season in spring 2012.

Lacrosse brings the number of Albright varsity teams that compete at the NCAA Division III level to 23. 

Work on the new field will begin immediately and be ready for play by fall 2011. A search for head coaches will begin immediately.

The Albright teams will compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference, which currently sponsors 13 women's teams and 12 men's teams.