PHOTO GALLERY
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Jan. 8, 2019) – Northern Arizona University Athletics, in cooperation with Flagstaff's Nackard Pepsi, unveiled a brand-new, state-of-the-art Gatorade Fuel Bar and Nutrition Station on Tuesday morning in the strength and conditioning facility at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
Gatorade Fuel Bar and Nutrition Stations are fixtures for professional sports franchises and will now be available to be utilized by Lumberjack student-athletes, as the lone one at any NCAA FCS member institution nationally.
"This is a really special day for NAU Athletics as we open our new Gatorade Fuel Bar and Nutrition Station," NAU Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operation and Development
Uri Farkas said. "This innovative project will allow our student-athletes all the nutrients they will need to refuel right here on site after completing their workouts and then be able to move directly on to their classes, labs and study tables without having to spend time going home to refuel their bodies."
The new Gatorade Fuel Bar and Nutrition Station features a 10-foot, stainless steel serving bar that includes Gatorade branded cabinetry for nutritional supplements and food storage, as well as a pair of Gatorade branded steel coolers that measure 3.5 feet (wide) by 7.5 feet (tall) for recovery and drink storage. It also boasts one co-branded NAU and Nackard Pepsi cooler for nutritional product storage that measures 4.5 feet (wide) by 6.5 (tall).
"Our company has supported NAU Athletics since the 1960's in various ways – mostly through monetary donations," Vice President of the Nackard Companies, Palmer Nackard said. "With the donation of the Gatorade Fuel Bar, it's our first opportunity to tangibly impact the training process of NAU's student athletes. We hope the Fuel Bar helps current and future student athletes reach their goals in the weight room and on the field. With Gatorade's full lineup of sports drinks, protein powders, bars and chews, athletes will have everything they need to train successfully."
The fuel and nutrition station area also will feature 30 lockers for student-athlete equipment storage during workouts. The lockers are made out of a black laminate material and span nearly nine by seven feet. Each one is 15.9" tall by 17.5" wide by 18" deep.
"I would also like to congratulate Nackard Pepsi for 75 years in Flagstaff and for the significant philanthropy that you have provided to the NAU community," NAU President Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng said. "Our student-athletes are role models. They are important to campus life and being able to support student-athletes so they can reach their highest potential on the court, track, field of play and in the classroom is really important to me personally, but also to the campus as a whole."
Tuesday's official opening of the fuel and nutrition station was attended by NAU student-athletes, members of the NAU athletic department, the Skyjacks Board of Directors as well President Hartung-Cheng and other members of the University community.
"Simply put without Nackard Pepsi this doesn't happen," Farkas said. "This is philanthropy at its core. The donation of resources, funds, the actual structure and the product. All the things we needed to make this happen wouldn't have without you, so a very special thank you to Nackard Pepsi."
The Gatorade and Fuel Station mission is to provide NAU student-athletes with convenient access to nutritious food and fluids that are optimal for maximizing their energy, performance and recovery. The location inside the Walkup Skydome also provides student-athletes for enhanced balance in time demands between classes, competitions, practice times and lifts.
The project was designed in coordination by Nackard Pepsi, Colab Architecture, NAU Athletics and NAU Facilities.
The new NAU Gatorade Fuel Bar and Nutrition Center was made possible by the renewed partnership between Nackard Pepsi and Northern Arizona University. The partnership between NAU and Nackard Pepsi spans decades and the new Fuel Bar is the culmination of countless hours of collaboration between NAU and Nackard Pepsi.
