What a ride. The All Aboard: The Drive for UTC Women’s Athletics completed its successful 2-week tour passing with flying colors. The Mocs Club announced the mission as accomplished on Tuesday morning, but that feels very understated.
The monetary goal of $100,000 was surpassed by more than 25 percent with a total of $127,955 raised. That unlocked an additional $100,000 matching gift by an anonymous donor in support of department-wide initiatives.
The drive adds much-needed funds to the women’s athletics programs: Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country/Track & Field, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Indoor Volleyball. The initiative saw 72 total donors come “All Aboard” with 20 percent making their first-ever gift to the University.
"We are very excited with the enthusiastic support for our women's programs," Vice Chancellor for Athletics Mark Wharton stated. "It was a resounding success. Our community is so supportive of all of our programs, but the overwhelming response for this shows how strongly women's sports are valued in the present, and how excited we can be for their future."
The response shows the growth of women’s sports throughout the country. The success of this initiative is a springboard for these programs and beacon for future Mocs female student-athletes to the commitment of the Chattanooga community to their success in and out of competition. In addition to the dollars listed above, another anonymous gift of $30,000 went to endow a scholarship for women’s athletics.
There is more to the campaign than just dollars and cents. The opportunity to become a mentor to this next generation of leaders is available as well. The first step is to lodge interest here. It’s the chance to impact and empower the Mocs ladies now for their future.