A new landmark has opened its doors on Jayhawk Boulevard at the University of Kansas, the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center, whose mission is to recognize and celebrate diversity at KU.

An event-packed week celebrated the opening of the new center will culminate with a dedication at 12:15 p.m. Friday, April 25. The building was funded by a $1 million gift from the Sabatini Family Foundation and student fees approved by Student Senate.

The new 7,000-square-foot center is on the north side of the Kansas Union, with a separate front entrance on Jayhawk Boulevard. The center features updated technology, more programming space for student organizations and more academic resources for students to use.

The center’s beginnings date back to 1995, when KU created the Multicultural Resource Center with a mandate to recognize the diverse composition of the KU community. The center was housed in a renovated military annex near Summerfield Hall.

In spring 2001, a plan for a new center was presented to University administration; in spring 2003, through the work of students and key administrators, KU agreed to move forward with plans for a new center. The Student Senate passed a resolution stating that it would supplement private donations from the Sabatini family with student fees for the construction of an updated center.

The Sabatini family includes Frank C. Sabatini, who earned a business degree in 1955 and a law degree in 1957, both from KU. A former state representative and member of the Kansas Board of Regents, he is chairman emeritus of Capital City Bank in Topeka, where he lives with his wife, Judith. The four sons in the Sabatini family are Marc, Matt, Michael, a'82, and Dan, a'86.

KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit foundation serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.