The Athletic Foundation raised over $1 million for the third straight year, thanks to the goodwill of the community which enjoyed such special events as the Great Gold Rush Auction. |
Athletic Foundation Raises Record 1.138 Million Dollars in 2006-07
Aug. 6, 2007
Charlotte, N.C. - For the third straight year, Mike Hummer, Executive Director of the Athletic Foundation, has announced that annual donations to the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation have surpassed $1 million. The 49er Club raised a record $1.138 million in 2006-07, surpassing last year's record of $1.12 million.
The annual donations are received through four main entities: The Annual Giving Campaign, the Great Gold Rush Auction, the 49er Club Golf Outing and the "Let Me Play" luncheon. The spring semester highlights the Athletic Foundation's efforts. The 49er Club Golf Outing is held in April, the Great Gold Rush Auction is held in June and the Annual Giving Campaign concludes with the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Annual donations do not include monies raised through capital gifts, like donations to the Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium project, or other restricted giving donations.
"The support of the Charlotte 49ers through the Athletic Foundation continues to grow and we are thrilled to be able to report another record year in excess of one million dollars," Hummer said. "Equally impressive is the fact that these record numbers only reflect a portion of the commitment our fan base has made to the 49ers. Donations to projects like the Hayes Baseball Stadium, for instance, go above and beyond. In addition, our membership numbers also grew.
"We have an outstanding core of 49er Club members who help us to grow year in and year out. This year, Eric Reichard did an outstanding job as Athletic Foundation President and we received great leadership from the members of our executive committee who served as chairpersons for our major fundraisers. We also want to thank the Presenting Sponsors of our special events and, most importantly, the many alumni, corporate partners and friends of the 49ers whose generous support is the lifeline of the Athletic Foundation."
The Annual Giving Campaign was chaired by Kevin Brown, of TIAA-CREF, the Great Gold Rush Auction was chaired by Ellison Clary, of Ellison Clary Comprehensive Public Relations, and the 49er Club Golf Outing was chaired by David Stanford, of RT Dooley Construction. Presenting sponsors included Wachovia Bank ("Let Me Play"); OrthoCarolina (Golf Outing), and Chartwells (Great Gold Rush Auction).
"We are extremely proud that our numbers continue to grow and that support of the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Department continues to climb," said 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose. "Our membership numbers are up; annual giving has increased and our special events continue to grow. At the same time, we have been able to add and upgrade facilities to offer our student-athletes and our fans a better environment in which to enjoy collegiate competition."
"It's been an incredible year all the way around. This ties in real well with the success of the overall athletic program. It's so exciting to see golf do so well and baseball and tennis and track reach the NCAA's ," said Reichard, Senior Vice President of Rodgers Builders. "We have a great board that really puts in a lot of time and personal interest. We are very excited about the fundraising (numbers) and the involvement of the entire community. I do think the university as a whole has a good relationship with the community, but I think the athletic department leads the way."
Charlotte won six Atlantic 10 Championships and saw three teams advance to NCAA Tournament competition, including the golf program which placed third at the NCAA Championships. The 49ers also had a record five student-athletes named Atlantic 10 Scholar-Athletes of the Year in their respective sports, including track and field Academic all-America Jane Daniels, who was named the A-10's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
