A surprise donation to the Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center is pushing the project a little bit closer to a reality.

Friends of the Woodman’s Center Co-Chair Christine Rebout says they were gifted an anonymous donation of $1 million, and the money will be used to fund locker rooms at MercyHealth Arena for Janesville and Milton high schools.

Rebout says while the identity of the donor is anonymous, the donation puts a spotlight on what the project could for the community, and the generosity of the donation without asking for acknowledgement shows how invested they are in the project.

Rebout says the donation puts them over the $9 million goal they set for private funding earlier this year, but they won’t stop seeking people interested in helping.

The project is still awaiting word on how much, if any, state funding will be available.