BERKELEY, Calif. — Former major league infielder Jeff Kent is giving back to women’s athletics at his former school, the University of California.
Kent is donating $531,000, with an additional $100,000 in matching funds, to female student-athletes at Cal through the newly created Jeff Kent Women Driven Scholarship Endowment.
Cal will formally announce Kent’s contributions Monday. The fully endowed scholarship will continue indefinitely and provide one full scholarship each year for a women’s athlete chosen from soccer, softball, tennis, track or cross country — with the preference going to a non-recruited student-athlete with a minimum 2.8 GPA, an interest in community service or mentoring, and someone who has demonstrated financial need, the school said.
Cal will recognize the 46-year-old Kent for his generosity and commitment to Cal during halftime of the Golden Bears’ football game against Colorado on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kent and his wife, Dana, created the Women Driven fund with the San Francisco Giants in 1998 that built funds for his current contribution. Kent committed $500 for each run he drove in and received corporate matching funds, raising more than $115,000 toward the scholarships in the first year and more than $600,000 during his six seasons with the Giants.