About the Sonnentags
The Sonnentag has been made possible through the generosity of alumni John and Carolyn Sonnentag.
The Sonnentags committed a gift of cash and land valued at approximately $70 million to pave the way for the world-class facility taking shape in Eau Claire. This gift is one of the largest of its kind in state history and made the dream first proposed in 2014 a reality.
The UW-Eau Claire Foundation announced in August 2014 a commitment of approximately $10 million in land and money from UW-Eau Claire alumni John and Carolyn Sonnentag and their family foundation. On Dec. 6, 2021, the UW-Eau Claire Foundation accepted a historic gift of $70 million from the Sonnentags, whose remarkable support for the project covers all the philanthropic goals for the project.
Construction on The Sonnentag began in the spring of 2022. From east to west, the site now includes the former locations of Student Transit-Eau Claire, County Materials Corp. and Fabick Cat. The donated land’s proximity to existing sports and recreation facilities such as Hobbs Ice Arena, Carson Park, and the John and Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center, positions The Sonnentag as the cornerstone of Eau Claire’s emerging sports corridor.
Carolyn and I feel that the UW-Eau Claire and Eau Claire communities have made such a great contribution to our lives that we want to give back in whatever capacity we can,” John Sonnentag said when the couple announced it was giving 25 acres of property to Blugold Real Estate, a subsidiary of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, in 2014. “We are very pleased to make this project happen.
John Sonnentag graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1966 with degrees in business administration and history. Carolyn Sonnentag graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1967 with a degree in medical technology. After graduating from UW-Eau Claire, John joined the family business, which at the time was named County Concrete Corp. Carolyn later joined the business and worked as a bookkeeper in the finance office. John’s father, Merlin, founded Sonnentag Concrete and Gravel in Marathon in 1946. The company offered concrete block and aggregate in the first two decades, but under John’s leadership, the company expanded its product line and began offering concrete pipe and other precast products. The company was renamed County Materials Corp. in 2003, and though it is still headquartered in Marathon County, the company now has additional locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Florida.