Courtesy: SCSU Athletics
ORANGEBURG, SC — South Carolina State Athletics launched a major gifts fund-raising initiative in 2018 to raise money to increase student-athlete scholarship support and upgrade some of the current athletic facilities. On April 21st, the university and friends celebrated surpassing the fund-raising goal of $1.78 Million by raising a total of $3 Million over the past four years.
The celebration coincided with the, “A Night of Celebration” with The Champions”, honoring the 2021 HBCU National Champion SC State Football Team. During the event, Director of Athletics, Stacy Danley and Campaign Co- Chair and Board of Trustee, Douglas Gantt, presented a check in the amount of $3 Million to Board of Trustee Chairman, Mr. Rodney Jenkins and SCSU President Col. Alexander Conyers.
“Our coaching staff and our athletes work extremely hard to be competitive and to win,” said Trustee Gantt, Pfizer Senior Representative, and campaign co-chair. “What they have needed is financial and fan support. This additional funding will allow us to close financial gaps created by university budget constraints, and most importantly, it will help us to become more competitive within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and regain our championship ways. Our coaches and athletes deserve our very best as alums, fans and supporters.”
The initiative — called RISE…with Bulldog Tenacity! Renovate, Innovate, Scholarship, & Excellence: A Major Gift Initiative for South Carolina State Athletics — has enabled SC State Athletics to:
- Replace the turf at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
- Renovate the basketball locker rooms at SHM
- Replace and update the fence and windscreens and construct new pitching cages at the softball field
- Bring a state of the art fueling station online for its athletes
- Design and renovate the Bulldog track and field
- Provide additional athletic scholarship for women’s sports
- Provide summer school scholarships for all sports
- Bridge the gap between the funding provided by the university and what is needed to meet the standard of excellence for Bulldog athletics (cost for: recruiting, team and staff travel, equipment and apparel, salaries etc.)
New scoreboards are also planned for the women’s soccer, softball, football, and basketball facilities before next season.
During the National Championship event, Athletics Director Stacy Danley, announced that the athletic department will be moving into Phase II of RISE in the coming months. He is excited to build on the momentum he and the university witnessed in Phase I.
“RISE has transformed the culture of giving around SC State Athletics,” said AD Danley. We are excited about what the future holds. We must remember that we are in the business of educating and graduating young people. It is our goal to provide an environment that fosters student-athlete welfare and enhances the overall student-athlete experience.”