LITTLE ROCK – The 2018-19 athletic season proved to be a successful one for Little Rock Athletics both in competition and in fundraising. The Trojan Athletic Department raised nearly $3.1 million during the fiscal year, showing the continued investment in the department's 15 intercollegiate athletic programs.
"The Little Rock Trojans continue to benefit from tremendous support from our community," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics
Chasse Conque. "This past year provided another strong fundraising campaign, leading to $7.4 million in support over the past two years. 2019 also marks a significant year in capital improvements with the renovation of the Donaghey Athletic Center and the construction of our new wrestling facility, both are transformational projects for Trojan Athletics.
"Private support for Little Rock's Team has directly enhanced our student-athlete experience, positioning us to compete for championships while enjoying record success in the classroom. We are most grateful to our loyal supporters who continue to believe in our mission of graduating champions."
All 15 Trojan Division I programs are benefiting from these generous donations, including legacy gifts totaling more than $1 million. A portion of these donations have come in the form of several naming rights throughout the Jack Stephens Center.
The Lot 16 entrance on the northwest corner of the arena now bears the name of the Dr. Bob Young Entrance, while the student-athlete entrance, located on the ground floor next to the main rotunda, was renamed the Mary and Rick Edwards Family Entrance.
The main suite of the administrative offices, located on the third floor, has been named the Patricia and Mark L. Pollack Athletics Suite, leading to the Victor Jacuzzi Family Office of the Director of Athletics.
A generous donation from the Donaghey Foundation helped fund a $725,000 renovation of the Donaghey Athletic Center, located adjacent to the Donaghey Student Center. The renovations now provide Trojan student-athletes with an updated weight room and team meeting space, as well as the addition of a nutrition center. It has also provided a complete remodeling of coaching and administrative offices as well as locker room and common areas.
Other enhancements at the Donaghey Athletic Center included the addition of the John Torbett Scoreboard for the Trojan swimming and diving program, a project that raised $75,000 privately for the scoreboard named in his honor. Additionally, Little Rock benefited from a record SpectacUA
LR in 2018, bringing in close to $350,000 to directly benefit Trojan student-athletes.
The nearly $3.1 million raised over the 2018-19 fiscal year complements Little Rock's record giving year in 2017-18 when the department raised over $4.3 million, a large portion of which came in the form of the donation for the new wrestling facility from Greg Hatcher.
For more information on how to support Little Rock student-athletes, please contact
Tyson Baldwin, Little Rock's Director of Development, at (501) 350-4653 or twbaldwin@ualr.edu.
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