Gift from local family will benefit AU student-athletes

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A generous gift from a local business owner and his wife will pave the way for a new sports training center for student-athletes at Augusta University.

The Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center – named for a husband and wife who are longtime university supporters – will be constructed in the upper mezzanine on the south side of Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Forest Hills Campus.

It will be equipped with essential fitness machines, free weights and other tools to help student-athletes boost strength and enhance performance.

It will serve as a hub for all student-athletes, replacing the current weight room and other training areas the university has outgrown.

AU Athletics Director Ryan Erlacher said the center will improve the athletic experience for student-athletes today and for decades to come.

Alvin Harris owns Horizon Motor Coach, and Yvette Harris is the manager. He also co-chair of the Augusta University Foundation, and the Harrises are members of the Augusta University President’s Club.

In addition to athletics, the Harrises support the arts at Augusta University through the Harris-Horizon Jazz Program and student learning through the Alvin and Yvette Harris Scholarship. They have also contributed to the James M. Hull College of Business and the Student Emergency and COVID-19 Emergency Response funds.

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