Fundraising Tops Goals Heading into The American
7/20/2023 10:36:00 AM | General, Owl Club
Nearly 40% increase in contributions to the Owl Club
Rice Athletics enters The American Athletic Conference riding a wave of excitement and anticipation among alumni, letter winners, and fans who contributed to a nearly 40% increase in contributions to the Owl Club during fiscal 2022 and the highest amount in five years.
In a year highlighted by record-breaking success at October's Evening for Rice's Honour, and April's Night of Flight, over 1,300 donors donated $2.1 million to the athletics annual fund, surpassing the goal of $2 million for the year. The number of donors increased 46% from the previous year and nearly 400 donors made gifts to the Owl Club for the first time.
"What an amazing first year our Owl Club team had fundraising for Rice Athletics, " said Ryan Hall, Associate AD for Development said. "Our team in "The Barn" hit the ground running and we would not have seen these results without their dedication and the dedication so many members of our community. From the moment I first stepped on campus, it was evident that so many of our alums and supporters were excited about the direction of the program and I'm incredibly grateful for their support."
The generosity of numerous donors this past year also lead to the installation of a new playing surface at Reckling Park, the construction of a team facility for Rice Golf at the Westwood Golf Club, the installation of a new running surface and additional upgrades at Wendel D. Lay Track and upgrades to the Soccer locker room.
In addition, contributions towards endowments created the first endowed women's head coaching position at Rice (the Shelley Pennington and Friends Head Coach), an endowed fund to the George R. Brown Tennis Center continues to be a premier venue in college tennis and others to support the Owl Club and endow additional athletics scholarships.
"The success we had in the Owl Club, new endowments, the upgrades across the board for programs and facilities, and record-breaking events set the stage for the move to The American," Hall noted. "We can see what is possible but must continue to grow and succeed. I know that with the continued support and the new plans we have for the upcoming year, the trajectory of the future starting now is only going upward."
Athletics has now raised just under $63 million towards its goal of $100 million as part of the Be Bold Campaign.
In a year highlighted by record-breaking success at October's Evening for Rice's Honour, and April's Night of Flight, over 1,300 donors donated $2.1 million to the athletics annual fund, surpassing the goal of $2 million for the year. The number of donors increased 46% from the previous year and nearly 400 donors made gifts to the Owl Club for the first time.
"What an amazing first year our Owl Club team had fundraising for Rice Athletics, " said Ryan Hall, Associate AD for Development said. "Our team in "The Barn" hit the ground running and we would not have seen these results without their dedication and the dedication so many members of our community. From the moment I first stepped on campus, it was evident that so many of our alums and supporters were excited about the direction of the program and I'm incredibly grateful for their support."
The generosity of numerous donors this past year also lead to the installation of a new playing surface at Reckling Park, the construction of a team facility for Rice Golf at the Westwood Golf Club, the installation of a new running surface and additional upgrades at Wendel D. Lay Track and upgrades to the Soccer locker room.
In addition, contributions towards endowments created the first endowed women's head coaching position at Rice (the Shelley Pennington and Friends Head Coach), an endowed fund to the George R. Brown Tennis Center continues to be a premier venue in college tennis and others to support the Owl Club and endow additional athletics scholarships.
"The success we had in the Owl Club, new endowments, the upgrades across the board for programs and facilities, and record-breaking events set the stage for the move to The American," Hall noted. "We can see what is possible but must continue to grow and succeed. I know that with the continued support and the new plans we have for the upcoming year, the trajectory of the future starting now is only going upward."
Athletics has now raised just under $63 million towards its goal of $100 million as part of the Be Bold Campaign.