LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock Athletics hosted another successful SpectacUA
LR on Thursday, September 26, 2019. This year's event, honoring Lee and Greg Hatcher, raised nearly $180,000, all of which will go to benefit over 200 Trojan student-athletes and help them better represent Little Rock's Team.
2019 SpectacUALR Photo Gallery
The annual event, in which Dillard's served as presenting sponsors, brought in over 500 attendees, getting an opportunity to meet and talk with Little Rock student-athletes and help give a personal connection for the purpose of the event.
This year's event had a wrestling theme, with Hatcher serving as one of the primary benefactors to bring wrestling to Little Rock. The Trojans begin competition in November, marking the first Division I program in the state of Arkansas.
Prior to SpectacUA
LR on Thursday, the department hosted the grand opening of the Greg Hatcher Wrestling Center Wednesday, unveiling the home of the Trojan wrestling program. The facility, located on the southern end of campus, is 18,000 square feet and feature four wrestling mats, making it one of the largest collegiate venues in the country. Coaches' offices, locker rooms, a player's lounge, training room and a weight room are all housed inside the facility.
Greg, considered the "Father of Arkansas Wrestling", founded The Arkansas Wrestling Association (AWA) and has purchased mats for 65 high schools and 14 colleges to help get new programs started at each school. Thanks to his generous support, Arkansas is the only state that has a Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, JUCO and a women's wrestling program in the country.
Greg attended Alma College in Alma, Michigan, where he competed in soccer, wrestling and baseball. He has been inducted into the Alma College Hall of Fame, Arkansas Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Greg also supports athletics in many other ways, including founding the Mighty Bluebirds Organization. The organization provides top coaching and facilities for youth to participate in soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball and football.
Greg's athletic background was also passed down to his children. His oldest daughter, Kelsey, played basketball and was a team captain at Arkansas. Greg and Lee's daughter Haley was a two-time All-American soccer player at Ouachita Baptist while his other daughter, Larkin, was an All-Great American Conference soccer player for Harding. His son Layne is a quarterback at Arkansas State. The Hatcher's youngest daughter, Mattie, won Olympic Gold in Team Equestrian Jumping at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and is an all-star basketball and soccer player at Pulaski Academy.
In 1990, Greg started the Hatcher Agency, which has grown into the largest organically grown Employee Benefits Agency in the United States. It has been named by Arkansas Business as Arkansas's Best Insurance Agency every year since they started the survey in 2004. In addition, Greg was named Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year in 2015, and The Hatcher Agency was named Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation in 2006.
Lee has also been an active member of the community and owns Silver Spur Properties. She is a competitive equestrian jumper, along with their daughter Mattie. Together, Lee and Greg have chaired numerous organizations including Hearts and Hooves, The Arthritis Foundation, The Baptist Health Foundation Board, The Arkansas Wrestling Association and Centers for Youth and Families.
Over the past 11 years, SpectacUA
LR has now brought in nearly $2.5 million since its inaugural event in 2009. Those generous donations are used to help fund the 15 Trojan athletic programs, benefitting the over 200 student-athletes that represent Little Rock's Team.
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