Medaille Holds Check Presentation & Van Dedication Ceremony

On October 4, esteemed philanthropist and local restaurateur Russell J. Salvatore joined Medaille University Interim President Lori V. Quigley, Ph.D., and other Medaille representatives and students for a formal check presentation and van dedication ceremony. The ceremony comes after Salvatore donated over $78,000 to fund the purchase of two new 12-passenger vans, which will be used to transport Medaille students for various academic, athletic and co-curricular activities. 

“Medaille University is honored to be included among the Western New York organizations and nonprofits that have benefited from Salvatore’s generous philanthropic support,” says Dr. Quigley. “We are extremely grateful for the support of our surrounding community, which enables Medaille to fulfill its mission of educating and developing the next generation of empowered leaders and community change-makers. Safe and reliable transportation is so important to the student experience, so we very much appreciate Salvatore’s support in providing these new, state-of-the-art vans.”  

The Russell J. Salvatore Medaille University Student Transport Fleet will be used to transport Medaille students for class field trips, athletic games and tournaments, field experience for veterinary technology and biology students, and community-based learning and volunteer opportunities. 

“For me, higher education is a life changer,” says Medaille University Junior and Student Government Association Vice President Xáneya Thomas, a criminal justice and pre-law major. “Because of those, like Mr. Salvatore, I have been able to not only pursue my education and career goals, but also thrive within the community here at Medaille. On behalf of the student body, I offer our sincere thanks to Russell J. Salvatore, for believing in us students and the dreams we intend to bring to fruition.”

“As an athlete, the use of vans is crucial to the success of our 19 NCAA DIII athletic teams,” says Thomas, who is also a member of the Medaille Mavericks women’s basketball team. “We use them frequently for transportation to and from our Medaille Sports Complex, as well as for away games and tournaments. And from a student perspective, the vans are used for class-related field trips and community-based learning and volunteering opportunities. All of the uses we have for the campus vans significantly add to the student experience, as they grant us the opportunity to venture off campus without having to worry about other factors like gas or money.”

As a respected community leader and influencer, Salvatore was previously honored with an honorary doctorate degree from Medaille. He also established the Russell J. Salvatore First Responders Scholarship in 2018, which has supported active professional or volunteer first responders seeking higher education.

“I get thrilled inside when I give back to the community,” says Salvatore. “Whatever ways I can support Medaille in the future or other opportunities like this, I am behind it 100 percent.”

More photos from the Check Presentation & Van Dedication Ceremony can be viewed in the online album.