Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Lake Superior State University has announced an annual gift designed to propel the Lakers hockey program to new heights. As reported by USCHO, this transcendent support, made possible through an anonymous benefactor’s inaugural and recurring annual contribution of $1.5 million, will directly enhance all facets of LSSU’s five-time national championship hockey program. The annual gift will provide critical resources to enhance team operations, recruit and retain top talent, elevate student-athlete academic support, performance and wellness, and foster unparalleled fan engagement on the campus is Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Former OU guard and current Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young announced Monday on NBA Today he's set to begin a new role as the program's assistant general manager. As reported by The Oklahoman, Young also announced he'll be donating $1 million to the program. His announcement comes weeks after Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry became the first active player in U.S. major professional sports to take an administrative job with an NCAA team. The Young family's foundation previously donated $4 million toward the Young Family Athletic Center in Norman.
The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation hosted a dedication ceremony March 21 to recognize Debbie and Andy Prefontaine of Naples, Fla., for their recent $750,000 donation. According to an announcement on the university's website, the University of Mississippi has honored a couple’s generous support by naming its track and field stadium in their family’s honor. The Prefontaines' son, Kevin, is a 1998 graduate of Ole Miss, and Andy's cousin, the late Steve Prefontaine, was a world-class runner at the University of Oregon.
University of North Carolina Asheville director of athletics Janet R. Cone announced Monday that an anonymous donor has made a $250,000 Matching Challenge gift towards UNC Asheville's new on-campus tennis facility. Per the announcement on the Bulldogs website, the on-campus facility will replace the Bulldog hard courts located on the property of Asheville Racquet Club Downtown, which will be demolished due to the I-26 connector project. A feasibility study by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architects determined that an on-campus facility would best serve not only UNC Asheville student-athletes but also the campus and local community.
Total amount of these gifts:
$3,500,000
Running total for 2025:
$273,398,500
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2024:
$943,830,339
