UMW Athletics fundraising arm, the Eagle Club, grossed nearly $56,000 Saturday evening at the 4th Annual UMW Athletics Gala. Proceeds help the department to strengthen support services and maximize opportunities for the 500+ student-athletes at the University. The event included a silent and live auction, testimonies from the 2017 male and female athletes of the year, the premier of the Eagle Club’s new video, and dinner followed by President Paino’s keynote address.
Sponsors included the presenting sponsor: Sodexo Dining Services and three supporting sponsors: City of Fredericksburg, Stafford Printing, and Union Bank & Trust.
Director of Athletics Ken Tyler said, “Our fourth annual Gala this past Saturday night was a great success! We’ve heard lots of positive feedback from the attendees, and it’s shaping up to be our most productive event yet in terms of generating resources for our student-athletes. “
Director of Athletic Development Philip Pierce began the evening by introducing the 13 student-athletes who worked the event and then challenged the crowd to embrace competition and win at least one auction item. Only 10 auction items, out of 101, went unsold.
CLICK HERE FOR 4TH ANNUAL GALA PHOTO GALLERY
CLICK HERE FOR THE EAGLE CLUB’S VIDEO PREMIERE
The top five silent auction packages included “Road Trip with UMW Team of Choice”, “Getaway to The Greenbrier”, “Raspberry Golf Trail to Four Courses”, “YMCA One-Year Family Membership”, “Two nights in Historic Charleston”, and “Spotsylvania Towne Center’s Basket Bundle”.
Big winners included Dr. Porter and Linda Blakemore ’84, Curry and Irene Roberts ’86, Ron and Nancy Rosner, Dr. Steve Hampton, David and Anne Pierce, and Betsy Southern. Hampton, a long-time professor and UMW’s Chief of Police Michael Hall won the wine and spirits raffles respectively.
The live auction grand finale raised nearly $10,000 alone. Live auction items included a week-long stay at a beach house in Southern Shores, North Carolina; two tickets to the 2017 Redskins vs. Cowboys game in a luxury box suite; a two-night stay at Mount Snow, Vermont; two days at Sonesta Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina; a San Francisco & Sonoma Wine Getaway; an 8-week-old puppy from the Fredericksburg Regional SPCA; and an airplane tour or rlight lesson over Fredericksburg.
UMW Athletics and the Eagle Club would like to thank our sponsors, those who donated auction items, those who attended the event, and all of our supporters who continue to champion Mary Washington student-athletes!
