CROOKSTON, Minn. — The University of Minnesota Crookston celebrated the extraordinary generosity of alumnus Les Nielsen and his late wife, June, during a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Monday, April 20, in the campus <a href="https://lumeamara.online/?p=6626" title="Agape Health and Wellness Center: Transforming Lives Through Integrated Healthcare & Community Leadership”>wellness center
During the ceremony, the facility, which opened in 2016, was officially named the Nielsen Family Wellness Center in recognition of Nielsen’s $6.2 million donation, the largest gift in the school’s history, said UMC Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause
The dedication event was held to honor Les Nielsen and June, who died in September, and their family for their longtime support of the school
Since the 1990s the Nielsens have provided scholarships for hundreds of students, most recently a full-tuition scholarship for students living in Red Lake Falls, Grygla, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Goodridge and Euclid, Minnesota. Les Nielsen, of Plymouth, Minnesota, was born on a farm near Red Lake Falls and grew up on a farm near Euclid. June had family ties to the Red Lake Falls and Gonvick area
The Nielsens also donated $1 million to the wellness center project before its grand opening in 2016, in memory of their son, Mitch Lien Nielsen, who died as the result of a motorcycle accident in 1989. The lobby in the wellness center is named for him
Les Nielsen is a 1958 graduate of the Northwest School of Agriculture, a high school that later evolved into the University of Minnesota Crookston. He went on to graduate from the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities
Guest speakers at Monday’s event included Holz-Clause; Nielsen and his son, Randy Brian Nielsen; Gretchen Ritter, University of Minnesota executive vice president and provost; John Morris, president and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation; Rosemary Johnsen, UMC vice chancellor for academic and student affairs; and Lexi Swendra, a Nielsen Family Student Scholarship recipient
Kevin Thompson, UMC’s director of advancement and alumni relations, was the master of ceremonies
In her remarks, Holz-Clause said all were gathered “to honor the wonderful gift that’s been given to the community and to the University of Minnesota Crookston.”
She praised the Nielsens for their major gift to help fund construction of the 36,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art wellness center, which opened in fall 2016. The facility features a two-court gymnasium, a suspended walking/jogging track, weight and cardio equipment, a fitness studio and classroom
In his comments, Nielsen said he is “blessed to be part of the (school)” and proud of its commitment to northwest Minnesota over the 125 years since the campus started
Regarding his and his wife’s family backgrounds, he said, “We were blessed to grow up in this area.”
Being raised on a farm and educated at the Northwest School of Agriculture prepared him for college, for working and studying hard, and developing a successful career. That experience inspired him and his family to want to give back to the university and support students
Swendra, a senior from Red Lake Falls, said the Nielsen scholarship allowed her to “focus on academics without having to worry” about finances during her college career
She is grateful “to not be left with the weight of debt” as she completes her degree
About Nielsen’s gift of scholarships, she said, “I will be forever thankful for your generosity and the lasting impact you’ve made on our lives.”
The ribbon-cutting was followed by a reception with toasts by Brandy Chaffee, chief development officer at the University of Minnesota, and Stephanie Helgeson, the school’s athletic director
Chaffee noted the “many decades of support and love” the Nielsens have given to UMC. And about Les Neilsen, she said, “your whole life has been about giving to others.”
About the wellness center, Helgeson noted “how much students love being in here day in and day out.”
She presented to Les Nielsen a 3-foot-long key to the building and a lifetime membership to the Nielsen Family Wellness Center
Nielsen is an entrepreneur, Chaffee said. In 1968, along with his business partner, Gene Ellingson, he started Herc-U-Lift, which rents and sells heavy-duty material-handling equipment, such as forklifts and scissor lifts
The company has grown from four employees to more than 200 and operates in branch locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin
The Nielsen scholarships are critical for all recipients, but especially for those students who are pursuing degrees online, many of whom are older than traditional college age, Holz-Clause said. “The average age of our online students is 32.”
The university’s official enrollment last fall, 1,890, is the highest in its history. About 65% of the students are Minnesotans, and half of those are from the Twin Cities area, she said
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