PISCATAWAY - Tradition on Rutgers football game days is receiving a larger-than-life addition. Construction begins today on a towering bronze statue being privately funded by Ron and Joanna Garutti within the North Gate Plaza area of SHI Stadium.
The imposing 12-foot high statue, named "Victory," portrays the armored Scarlet Knight raising his sword in triumphant victory atop his steed after vanquishing an opponent in battle. The majestic statue, weighing 2,500 pounds, will be lighted from above and below, and mounted upon a 5½-foot black granite pedestal, bringing its total height to 18 feet above the plaza. The cost of the project is being fully funded by the Garuttis.
"Ron and I have long traveled to our opponents' campuses, where we so often would see a statue representative of the school's mascot or tradition," said Joanna. "We felt that Rutgers, a proud Big Ten university, deserved to have its own statue, so we decided to fund it."
Ron added, "Our hope is that this symbol of our great university, while standing outside the football stadium, will be a source of pride to the entire Rutgers community and to the State of New Jersey. A source of pride to all our athletic teams, Rutgers students, faculty, alumni, donors, fans, visiting high school students, and all New Jersey residents. We would love to see it become a destination point for all visitors to our beautiful campus, a must-see spot for the taking of photos. Most of all, we hope people will look at it, and say, 'I am proud of Rutgers University.'"
The Garuttis' gift is the latest in their support of Rutgers Athletics. The Ron and Joanna Garutti Strength and Conditioning Center opened inside the football program's Hale Center in the summer of 2016. The couple, 2016 recipients of the 1869 Legacy Award for "lifetime impact on Rutgers Athletics," also fully endows a football scholarship, and have generously supported the Big Ten Champions Fund. Ron is Vice-Chair of the Rutgers Board of Trustees and a member of the Rutgers Board of Overseers.
"We are so appreciative that Ron and Joanna are adding this very visible symbol of Scarlet Knight pride and commitment to excellence," said Rutgers Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "Time and time again the Garuttis are there for us. And what a great way to kick off our 150th anniversary celebration."
The dedication of the "Victory" statue will be on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 before Rutgers' season opener against UMass, and will kick-off a season long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first college football game played here "On the Banks," and recognition of Rutgers as the Birthplace of College Football. The dedication will represent the culmination of a more than two-year creative and artistic process, during which time the Garuttis worked with a multidisciplinary internal Rutgers team, the design team of the actual sculptors of the statue from the Randolph Rose Collection of Yonkers, N.Y., the architectural team from Perkins Eastman of New York, N.Y., and the general contractor of the project, Michael Riesz and Co. of Fords, N.J.
THE BUILD CONTINUES:
With the Rodkin Center for Academic Success groundbreaking in April, the "Victory" Statue in August, and the Grand Opening of the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center in September, the 2019 calendar year is shaping up to be a landmark as we continue to write the greatest chapter of Rutgers Athletics together. There is still time to become a part of history and make a profound impact on generations of Rutgers student-athletes in pursuit of excellence in sport and life.
SUPPORT YOUR SCARLET KNIGHTS
For all Rutgers development news, visit rfund.scarletknights.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@R_Fund), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/SupportRFund).
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