GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Carl Rogers family, Carl, his wife, Connie and Carl's children and grandchildren, have made a $1 million investment to support the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence, Pirate Club Executive Director Ryan Robinson announced Friday. The Carl Rogers family is comprised of Richard Rogers and wife, Elizabeth; Jody Swing and husband, Thomas; Stacy Ward and husband, Jeff and grandchildren: Davis Rogers, Lilly Kate Rogers, Sarah Swing, Charley Swing, Carly Ward, Avery Ward and Emmitt Ward.
"Our family is blessed to have the opportunity to invest in the long-term future of ECU Athletics and our incredible student-athletes," Carl Rogers said. "ECU and the Pirates have created so many memories for our family over the years. The Pirates Unite Campaign is a terrific opportunity for all Pirates to invest in the athletics department no matter the amount. The collegiate landscape continues to change, and we must invest in our sport programs, have state-of-the-art facilities that allow us to compete with our peers, attract the best student-athletes for our programs and give them an opportunity to be successful. We firmly believe athletics are critical in uniting a college campus and community and we have great symmetry from our leadership with Dr. Philip Rogers and Jon Gilbert."
The Carl Rogers family has built a lasting legacy with ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club. Their generosity and leadership have impacted thousands of student-athletes in all Pirate sport programs and have positioned ECU Athletics for sustained success. The family has participated in numerous capital campaigns for the Pirate Club including the Dowdy-Ficklen Renovation, Clark-LeClair Stadium, Smith-Williams Basketball Practice Facility and the Step Up to The Highest Level Campaign. The family made a significant investment in the Dowdy-Ficklen Renovation Campaign and the Carl and Connie Rogers Pirate Club Level bears their name. Mr. Rogers is currently serving his second term on the Pirate Club Executive Committee and was the foundation's president in 2015-16.
The Carl Rogers family gift will support multiple projects in the Pirates Unite Campaign including the proposed multipurpose indoor facility, new baseball building expansion and funds for athletic programs to provide an immediate and direct impact on operational needs.
"We stand in awe of the Carl Rogers family for their continued generosity to ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club," ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. "We want to thank Carl and Connie, his children Richard, Jody, Stacy and the entire family for this extraordinary investment. The family has always delivered in a time of need for our athletics department, and they truly define servant leadership in every aspect. They are passionate about the Pirates and show their support in so many different ways. They understand the importance of elevating our student-athlete experience so we can recruit student-athletes that will succeed athletically and academically at the highest level."
"It's difficult to put into words how impactful the Carl Rogers family has been to the overall success of Pirate Club," Robinson said. "Carl has been an invaluable resource for the Pirate Club with his leadership, guidance and willingness to help with all our initiatives. Richard, Jody and Stacy are genuine people, first and foremost, and they are making their donation in part to honor their father. We are so appreciative that they would make an investment in the long-term future of ECU Athletics. We have an ambitious goal with the Pirates Unite Campaign, and it is inspiring for the Rogers family to support the vision with such a significant investment."
This investment contributes to the largest fundraising effort ever undertaken by the Pirate Club with the Pirates Unite Campaign. The campaign was announced in May of 2022 with a stated goal of $60 million and has surpassed $13 million. Nearly 300 individuals and families have contributed to the campaign.
For more information about the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence, please visit ecupirateclub.com/piratesunite. Individuals earn double priority points with a gift to the campaign.
