David and Christy Cottrell Make A
Major Gift To Name Amphitheater
HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 10, 2017 – David and Christine Cottrell, parents of a High Point University graduate, have now contributed $5.5 million with their most recent commitment of $1.5 million to support an outdoor amphitheater.
The amphitheater seats 1,000 people and hosts several annual events, including major community events such as the Arbor Day Celebration, the High Point Arts Council Concert and performances by the North Carolina Brass Band.
It’s located behind Cottrell Hall, which the family supported with a $4 million lead gift when the facility opened in 2015. Cottrell Hall cost $26 million and was funded entirely by gifts from parents of current students from eight different states. Cottrell Hall houses all of the university’s experiential learning components under one roof, including Career and Professional Development, Internship Services, Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, the Freshman Success Program, the Sales Center, the Entrepreneurship Center and more.
“Cottrell Hall serves as the hub of experiential learning and professional development on our campus,” says Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU president. “The amphitheater is an extension of that and a wonderful outdoor learning space. We are grateful to the Cottrells, who made it possible for our students to experience these facilities and the services provided there.”
The Cottrells are from Richmond, Virginia, where they founded RetailData in 1988 as a “true garage startup.” Today, the company thrives as the standard of the data collection industry.
“The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on the HPU campus,” says David Cottrell. “We’re inspired to invest in an institution that prepares its students to thrive in a world of constant change.”