HILLSBORO, Kan.— A historic groundbreaking will be held at Tabor College for the Business & Entrepreneurship Center, which will be housed in the former Mary J. Regier Building and include a north expansion.
The ceremony, scheduled for 4:30 p.m., will take place on the Kliewer Plaza between the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts and the former Mary J. Regier Building south of the corner of B and Jefferson Street.
A brief program will be followed by a reception and both are open to the public.
The event coincides with celebrating Tabor Day, which was instituted on April 30, 1920, to commemorate the opening of what remains Tabor’s two longest-standing buildings. The celebration of a new future came on the second anniversary of a fire that burned down the college’s first building and nearly forced it to shut its doors. Over 100 years later, the former Mary J. Regier Building and the H.W. Lohrenz Administration Building have long symbolized the college’s resiliency, echoing the refrain ‘Tabor still lives!’ among the constituency and seeing two structures rise out of the ashes of one.
“A joint celebration of Tabor Day and the groundbreaking of the Business & Entrepreneurship Center serves as the perfect opportunity to celebrate a new chapter in Tabor College history,” said President David Janzen, Ph.D. “As fundraising continues to meet the Mabee Challenge for this project, we are thrilled to celebrate how God may use this building in the lives of Tabor students, our community and throughout the world.”
The Business & Entrepreneurship Center is also part of the recently announced Next Century Campaign, celebrating the second century of the college’s history since the two buildings opened. Tabor has raised $32.3 million since 2021 to help reach its goal of $90 million by 2030.
The Mabee Foundation issued a $1.3 million challenge to serve as partial funding for the Business & Entrepreneurship Center. To receive the funds, Tabor must raise $1.38 million by Jan. 14, 2026.
“Donors have responded enthusiastically to meet seven Mabee Challenges in the past,” said Ron Braun, vice president of philanthropy. “We’re confident the Lord will provide the necessary funding to meet this current challenge in the coming months.”
To learn more about the Next Century Campaign and the Mabee Challenge Grant, visit www.tabor.edu/nextcentury and www.tabor.edu/bec. Contact Ron Braun at ronb@tabor.edu or 620-947-3121 (ext. 1710) to make a gift via check or assets such as stocks, property, or cryptocurrency.
Tabor College Public Relations & Communications has a written branding guide detailing abbreviations, academic degree descriptions, and other policies. Visit www.tabor.edu/pr to learn more.
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Established in 1908 and located in Hillsboro, Kan., Tabor College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.