Grand Valley State athletics announced Tuesday, June 6, that it has changed the name of its athletic development fund from the Charles H. Irwin Athletic Fund, named after the school's first athletic director Charles Irwin, to the
GVSU Athletics Fund. The move is aimed at increasing visibility of the university's athletic fund-raising effort to broaden participation in athletics to a wider range of Laker faithful around the world.
"It is important that our athletics foundation's name and mission be clear and recognizable," said Keri Becker, Grand Valley State Director of Athletics. "As we move forward and continue to serve our university community, Laker Athletics increasingly relies on the generosity of its loyal donors who provide the needed support for our student-athletes through annual giving, capital gifts, planned gifts, endowments, and growing forms of financial commitments. The GVSU Athletics Fund connects all Lakers who support our quest toward future academic and athletic celebrations," added Becker.
Named in honor of Grand Valley State University's first Athletic Director, the Charles H. Irwin Athletic Fund was established in 1981 to provide financial support for the intercollegiate athletics program. The university said it will continue to honor Charles H. Irwin through the Charles H. Irwin Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the
Charles H. & Florence Irwin Fund Scholarship Endowment.
The GVSU Athletics Fund's foremost goal is to provide a means by which friends, alumni, and businesses can support the development and achievements of GVSU athletics. Contributions to the GVSU Athletics Fund help provide needed resources for equipment, uniforms, team travel, recruiting, and facilities improvements.
In addition to its commitment to academic excellence, GVSU is also dedicated to providing a competitive and quality athletic program. To meet the financial challenges of sponsoring a first-rate NCAA Division II program, we need your assistance and financial support. By contributing to the GVSU Athletics Fund, you will not only be helping Grand Valley State University meet this challenge, but more importantly, your generous participation in the program will directly benefit over 600 students who take part in Grand Valley State Athletics.
"The change to the GVSU Athletics Fund is symbolic of the evolution of our development operation," said Doug Lipinski, Deputy Director of Athletics at GVSU. "This exciting new direction will allow us to more fulfill the mission of the athletic department. There will be no doubt about the purpose or identity of the GVSU Athletics Fund. We are thankful for Charles H. Irwin and his tremendous legacy on GVSU Athletics – that will never change. At the same time, we look forward to the emergence of the GVSU Athletics Fund because we know how important it is to the future of this storied athletic program."
To learn more about the GVSU Athletics Fund, or to become a member, visit the
GVSU Athletics Fund page
