Oct. 11, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The 2012-13 Notre Dame men’s basketball squad will host an open practice from 6:30-8:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in South Bend, Ind. The Kroc Center is located at 900 West Western Avenue, just two blocks from Coveleski Stadium.
This will mark the first time that head coach Mike Brey and his staff will hold an open practice outside of the Notre Dame campus for the South Bend community. The event is free. Concessions will be available.
Fans will be admitted into the gymnasium at the Kroc Center until maximum capacity is reached. Doors will open at 6:15.
Throughout the evening, there will be several promotions and giveaways. Among the prizes will be tickets to select Irish basketball home games as well as Notre Dame basketball gear. Following the two-hour practice session,Irish players will be available to sign autographs for fans in attendance.
Senior Scott Martin drives to the basket
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“This is going to be a great night for our program and the South Bend community,” says Brey who is set to begin his 13th season at Notre Dame. “The Kroc Center is a magnificent state-of-the-art facility that has become a valued commodity to our area. My team and I look forward to meeting with our fans on that evening and having the opportunity to hold a practice in such a great facility.”
The Kroc Center was built on 12 acres of land in downtown South Bend at the southwest corner of Chapin Street and Western Avenue. The 110-thousand square foot facility features a performance venue, aquatics center, special event facilities, a fitness center, art studio and recording studio. It also includes a café, the Kroc Church, and educational and fun areas designed specifically for children and teens.
Opened in January of 2012, the Kroc Center features multiple programs that are designed to stimulate the mind, body, and spirit in an effort to transform the lives of each member of the greater South Bend community.
Jack Cooley weaves between two Rutgers players
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Joan Kroc, the late wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, believed that community centers such as this one allowed for all individuals to have an equal opportunity to groom their natural gifts and talents in a warm and friendly environment. The Center is part of her vision to build state-of-the-art recreational and arts facilities in under-served communities nationwide. One of only 27 Kroc Centers nationwide, the South Bend Kroc Center is the only one in the state of Indiana.
When she passed away in 2003, Kroc left a large portion of her estate to The Salvation Army. Her generous donation remains the largest gift ever given to a private charity to date.
The vision of the Kroc Center is to promote wellness, encourage excellence, build character and inspire faith; in South Bend, there is no better court for the Irish to play on outside of their home court at Purcell Pavilion.
For further details on the practice, please contact Harold Swanagan at (574) 631-6225 or hswanaga@nd.edu.
For more information on the Kroc Center and its programs or facilities, please contact the Welcome Desk at (574)-233-9471, or visit their website, www.mykroc.org.
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