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by Frank Mercogliano

LARRY CHAVEZ MAKES TRANSFORMATIONAL $1.5 MILLION GIFT TO LOBO ALLIANCE

LARRY CHAVEZ MAKES TRANSFORMATIONAL $1.5 MILLION GIFT TO LOBO ALLIANCELARRY CHAVEZ MAKES TRANSFORMATIONAL $1.5 MILLION GIFT TO LOBO ALLIANCE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico is proud to announce that alumnus Larry Chavez has made a transformational $1.5 million gift to benefit the newly launched Lobo Alliance.

The Lobo Alliance is UNM Athletics’ philanthropic initiative to recruit and retain the best student-athletes and ensure the Lobos remain competitive in the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics. Chavez’s gift will provide support for Lobo Football, Lobo Men’s Basketball, and a discretionary fund directed by Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo.

“I made this gift with the intention of showing full support of the new leadership at Lobo Athletics,” Chavez said. “I believe in Coach Eck, Coach Olen, and Fernando Lovo’s vision for our programs, and I could not be more excited to throw the full weight of my support behind them.”

Born in Springer, New Mexico, and raised in Albuquerque, Chavez’s story with The University of New Mexico begins at childhood, when he was in the stands in 1959 to witness Don Perkins run back the second half kickoff for a touchdown, in what would be a Lobo victory over the nationally ranked Air Force Academy at Zimmerman Field. His formative years of Lobo fandom began amongst a group of friends, as Larry recalls, “Three neighborhood kids and I would listen to away game broadcasts, sitting around the kitchen table, each keeping total offense statistics. We each put 50 cents on the table, and whoever came closest when the final statistics were announced got to take the two dollars.” 

"I believe in Coach Eck, Coach Olen, and Fernando Lovo’s vision for our programs, and I could not be more excited to throw the full weight of my support behind them."

Larry Chavez

Chavez’s love for the Lobos only deepened throughout his adolescence. At 16, he landed his first job selling soda in the west stands at University Stadium. During those years, he was a scholar-athlete and a member of Valley High School’s state championship basketball team. As graduation approached, his attention increasingly turned toward the University of New Mexico.

“Although we never had much, our parents emphasized heavily obtaining an education. Brothers Jerry, Ralph, and I graduated from The University of New Mexico and went on to successful careers.”

Not long after, he would go on to complete his accounting degree at the Anderson School of Management, where he was named a Hall of Fame inductee in 2017. His successful career with KPMG International and his founding of Dreamstyle Remodeling, which he sold in 2022, are big motivators behind his philanthropy to UNM Athletics.

“During my ownership, Dreamstyle was trusted by tens of thousands of New Mexico residents to provide remodeling for their homes. Supporting The University of New Mexico is a way of thanking them for their trust.”

Chavez has been married to his wife Joyce for 36 years, and they have left a legacy of three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. 

What People Are Saying:

Fernando Lovo, Vice President and Director of Athletics

“We are so incredibly fortunate for Larry’s support of the commitment to excellence we have at UNM Athletics. I am so grateful and humbled by the opportunity to work with Larry, as he has been a wonderful partner in our mission to recruit and retain the tremendous talent we have, both on-field and in the classroom, at The University of New Mexico. Larry’s passion for the success of this department is contagious, and he truly is a model of what it means to be a Lobo.”

Jalen Dominguez, Deputy Athletic Director, Executive Director of the Lobo Club

“The opportunity to work with Larry on making his vision a reality has reaffirmed what is truly special about being a member of the UNM community. Larry has been a long-time supporter of this institution’s success, and this latest commitment is an excellent opportunity to ‘prime the pump’ of our newly launched Lobo Alliance initiative. We are excited to see how Larry’s spirit of philanthropy inspires the Lobo community in this new era of intercollegiate athletics.”

You can join in on Larry Chavez’s generosity by checking out the Rio Grande Rivalry Giving Challenge, ahead of the Lobos matchup with in-state rival New Mexico State this Saturday, September 27. All proceeds benefit the Lobo Alliance, so give today at https://bit.ly/RioGrandeRivalryChallenge!