DePaul Blue Demon fans, who soon will bid a fond farewell to the university's Alumni Hall athletic facility, can bid on pieces of Blue Demon history at the "Alumni Hall Wrecking Ball" dinner and auction April 15.

     Alumni Hall paraphernalia, including doors from the men's locker room, student athlete lockers, Blue Demon neon signs, carpet swatches with the Demon logo and sections of bleachers, will be auctioned to raise money for the soon-to-open DePaul Athletic Center that will replace antiquated Alumni Hall. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and a cocktail reception, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and a live auction at 8:15 p.m. at the Rosemont Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont, Ill.

     The 44-year-old Alumni Hall, 1011 W. Belden Ave., will close in early May and is scheduled for the wrecking ball in June, once demolition preparation is complete. On the Alumni Hall site, the university will begin constructing a student union in the fall. Meanwhile, a new $10.8 million Athletic Center is nearly completed on the northeast corner of Sheffield and Belden avenues, across the street from Alumni Hall. Scheduled to open the week of April 24, the center will house practice, training and fitness facilities for student athletes on DePaul's 15 intercollegiate sports teams (including men's and women's basketball), a 2,800-spectator court and athletic staff offices.

     Tickets are $50 per person. For information, call DePaul Special Events: 312/362-6638.