The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has always held a special place for Wayne Robinson, the brother of UAPB Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Robinson. With that fondness in mind, he continued supporting the institution by making a $20,000 financial donation to the school’s athletic department in honor of their dear mother, Deloris Robinson.
“I believe in the community transformative power of sports in the communities,” said Wayne. I hope this donation continues the rich legacy of UAPB to cause children to dream and know that their origin does not limit the height of their success. My family experienced it firsthand, seeing Chris (VC Robinson) being recruited by UAPB and eventually becoming their Vice Chancellor for Athletics. I’m proud to give this in our mother’s name to lay a foundation for others from all backgrounds.” Earlier this month, the Prichard, AL, native presented UAPB’s Vice Chancellor Robinson with a check for $20,000, which will be used for upgrades within the athletics department.
“This gift hits home in so many ways,” said Chris Robinson. “To understand the journey and sacrifices made by Wayne to get to this point and to know the “WHY” behind the gift is definitely special. He understands the need to continue to invest in our youth, therefore investing in our future. To receive this gift in our mother’s name, it’s difficult to find words to explain the feeling; reflecting on her tireless efforts to open doors for us and the many selfless decisions she made inspired us all to dream in spite of what we did not have.”
The donation from Wayne continues to spur fundraising under the leadership of Chris Robinson, who took over as Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics in June 2021. His effort has led to several improvements around the department of athletics, in particular, the Gatorade UAPB Fuel Station, sponsored by Pepsi, the Renovation of the Thomas May Field House, the renovation of the Student-Athlete Academic Center, which ranks as one of the best in the country, future renovation plans to improving the locker room facilities around for all 14 sports programs, prospective groundbreaking of the new softball field house and soccer and track & field facility.
