$1M grant goes to O’Reilly center at Drury

The 4,000-seat event center will be located adjacent to Weiser Gymnasium on the Drury campus. It should be open by fall 2009, in time for the men’s and women’s basketball season, and will allow the school to host regional and national basketball tournaments.

O’Reilly family members Rosalie Wooten, Larry and Nancy O’Reilly, David O’Reilly and Charlie and Mary Beth O’Reilly together provided the lead gift of $6 million for the facility, which will cost about $12 million.

The Mabee Foundation has given Drury a total of $3.96 million for several construction and renovation projects, including the Trustee Science Center, the Mabee Center and the Hutchens Health, Physical Education and Recreation Center, according to a news release.