For many people, their hometown invokes a sense of pride and nostalgia. It means something to tell people where they are from. It’s where they learned how to ride a bike or had backyard barbecues. Where they met the friends and family that became the backbone of their lives. From the corner drug store to the old newsstand, and the local furniture store, they knew the people running those businesses and their families.
For Allen and Nancy Carter, Urbana, Illinois, is not only a place to call home but a place to give back. Because giving back to a home and a community that has given so much to them is at the heart of what the Carters are all about.
And it’s what drove them to make a significant donation to the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois last February, which will serve as funding for the renovation and future growth of the course. In honor of the gift, the outdoor patio space will be named the Carter Family Terrace.
“One of the better places in the state”
Carter’s Furniture has been a mainstay in Urbana since it opened its doors in 1957. It’s a prime example of a “hometown business.” Allen Carter grew up in Urbana and went to school through the Urbana school district. After graduating college, he took over the family business. He believes in the Champaign-Urbana area because of the University of Illinois and what it offers.
“Being raised in Champaign-Urbana, you get very attached to Illinois because it’s such a main stay of the entire area,” Allen said. “It makes the community and the county one of the better places in the state to be able to operate an ongoing business.”
Carter says that Illinois athletics was always a family focus. He firmly believes the Champaign-Urbana community is vibrant with the presence of the University of Illinois educational and athletic programs.
Nancy, graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in architecture. She has been involved with the University of Illinois designing work for Krannert Center, Illini Union, Athletic offices, to name a few. Nancy’s passion for community involvement in mental health awareness continues to drive her lifelong leadership involvement with NAMI.org (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Together, the Carter’s have a long history in the community and the University.
“A premier location in Central Illinois“
Golf was a major sport in Allen’s formative years. His parents were members of the Urbana Country Club, and he started playing and caddying when he was 12.
“I have always had a really strong relationship with the sport,” said Allen. “I’ve been involved with all three of the local country clubs. But through the years, this area always needed a top-notch public golf complex.”
Allen and Nancy Carter’s gift toward the Atkins Golf Club is about doing exactly that.
“Our desire is to make sure that the golf course and club become a premier location in Central Illinois. And it gives the golf-playing public in this area one of the best resources for golf that they can find,” Allen said.
Last week, the newly renovated golf course officially opened for the entire community to see. Allen was especially interested in how the course would play with all the new enhancements in place.
“It’s a great golf course the way it has been redesigned and laid out,” Allen said. “But more than anything else, I’m really looking forward to being on a golf course on a weekly basis that I’m familiar with, and that I really enjoy playing.”
Being a part of the new Atkins golf course was equally important to the Carter’s because it is an Urbana business as is Carter’s Furniture; it’s an operating business that will continue to contribute to the local economy.
“The best experience playing a golf course in downstate Illinois”
The gift toward the Atkins Golf Club was not only to help present a great golfing experience but also to make a mark on the future.
The Carters said, “We wanted to make sure the quality of the facility is perpetuated not only today but into the future for the University of Illinois. It offers a great place for its Illinois women’s and men’s golf teams to call home. So, we want to make sure that it goes forward positively and that these resources are top-notch when the student-athletes and the community are there. Plus, they will get one of the best experiences playing a golf course in downstate Illinois.”
Carter’s Furniture’s mission has always been “at the heart of your home”. Allen and Nancy hope the Carter Family Terrace imbibes the hospitality and comfortable spirit of their “at the heart of you home” commitment.
