蘑菇短视频

蘑菇短视频 has concluded its ambitious 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign with more than $110 million in philanthropic support pouring in to benefit the institution鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

The record-breaking campaign began shortly after the arrival of Chancellor Kelli R. Brown in 2019 and concluded June 30 of this year.

Only the third comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history, 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� is the first with a significant emphasis on garnering funds for long-awaited upgrades to facilities used by 蘑菇短视频student-athletes. The campaign, with an overall focus on improving the total student experience, also sought support for academic excellence initiatives and community and global engagement activities.

Brown revealed the total amount raised during the campaign Friday, Aug. 28, at a gala celebration honoring donors who made contributions to the effort. The final tally 鈥� which stands at $110,883,442.69 鈥� is more than $35 million above an initial goal of $75 million, which was later increased to $100 million, Brown said.

鈥淥ver the past several years, 鈥楩ill the Western Sky鈥� has brought together Catamounts from every corner of our university community 鈥� alumni, friends, faculty and staff, students, parents, volunteers, community partners. Together, you embraced a bold vision for 蘑菇短视频 and transformed it into reality,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his campaign has supported academic excellence. It has expanded opportunities for community and global engagement. It has helped position our student-athletes for success through transformational investments in athletics facilities. Most importantly, it has created opportunities that will change lives for generations of students,鈥� Brown said.

鈥淎nd let鈥檚 not lose sight of just how historic this effort has been,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen this campaign began, we set the most ambitious fundraising goal in Western Carolina University history. It was a goal rooted in confidence, optimism and belief in our future. Because of you, we not only reached that goal, but we also surpassed it.鈥�

The fundraising effort began in a quiet or leadership phase designed to help lay the foundation for success by building a base of major gifts of a minimum of six figures. It was during the campaign鈥檚 early days that university leaders realized they were already on the verge of meeting an initial goal of raising $75 million and decided to increase it to $100 million.

Guided by a 43-member campaign steering committee, 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� entered its public phase in January 2025, an event postponed from October 2024 in the wake of widespread destruction across Western North Carolina spawned by flooding from Hurricane Helene.

During the Aug. 28 gala celebration, campaign steering committee co-chair Teddy Phillips announced that a total of 15,234 individual donors made gifts and pledges during the campaign.

Of that total, 8,564 were first-time donors, which means that more than 56 percent of all gifts during 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� were from supporters making their first-ever gift to WCU, fellow steering committee co-chair Randy White said.

The final tally of more than $110 million comprises $62,987,690.61 in cash gifts (including $10,334,203.66 in private grants), $5,740,539.08 in pledge balances and $42,155,213 in planned gifts.

As WCU鈥檚 only comprehensive campaign to prioritize support for improvements to long-in-the-tooth athletics facilities, 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� garnered nearly $30 million in gifts and pledges for the athletics program, with most of those funds designated for facilities.

Current students also are playing an important role in providing resources to improve those facilities through an increase in the mandatory athletics fee they pay as part of the cost of attendance. That increase, now in effect after approval by the WCU Board of Trustees and University of North Carolina Board of Governors, will generate an estimated $30 million to supplement philanthropic gifts, said Student Government Association president Grady Jones, who commended former SGA president Rebecca Hart for her advocacy for the fee increase.

鈥淚 know our student-athletes are especially excited about the long-awaited improvements to our athletic facilities,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淪ome of those projects have been talked about for years, so it鈥檚 exciting to know they鈥檙e finally becoming a reality.鈥�

Jones expressed his appreciation to donors who have supported him in his educational endeavors, and also shared that he is a donor himself. 鈥淣ow, my contribution isn鈥檛 going to put my name on a building anytime soon, but that鈥檚 never been the point,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hat I鈥檝e learned during my time at Western is that this university is built by people who care enough to give back. Every scholarship, every renovated space and every opportunity available to students today exists because someone decided to invest in those who would come after them. I wanted to be part of that tradition,鈥� Jones said.

鈥淕iving back isn鈥檛 something I鈥檓 waiting to do years from now after my career is established. It鈥檚 something I believe starts now. I hope that commitment only grows throughout my life,鈥� he said.

Before the evening gala, many of the donors to 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� gathered earlier in the day to get a first look at perhaps the most tangible result of the fundraising effort, a highly anticipated $37 million upgrade to the west side stands of WCU鈥檚 aging E.J. Whitmire Stadium. New LED lighting, an upgraded video board and a new artificial playing surface bring the stadium renovation total to $40 million.

The renovations include a new press box and media center, coaches鈥� offices, and a hospitality area called the 鈥淲estern Skybox,鈥� a nod to the campaign that made improvements possible. Christened the Phillips Football Center, the four-story expansion contains nearly 10,000 square feet of space for coaching, media, and game-day operations and hospitality. The football operations area consists of 12 offices, offensive and defensive conference rooms, and multiple meeting spaces.

An upgraded media center 鈥� named in honor of WCU鈥檚 legendary retired sports information director Steve White through more than $500,000 in donations from friends, colleagues and former student-athletes 鈥� accommodates approximately 155 people and includes game day coaching booths. The new hospitality level offers a premium experience for more than 200 guests.

Including the media center, the stadium expansion contains 27 spaces 鈥� coaches鈥� offices, video balconies, conference rooms, entry gates and atriums 鈥� named in recognition of donors making contributions of $100,000 or more during the campaign. Elsewhere, a student-athlete success center located in Jordan-Phillips Fieldhouse is named after Chancellor Brown and husband Dennis in recognition of one of their many gifts to the campaign.

In addition to funding for athletics facilities improvements, the campaign sought support for academic endeavors, including excellence funds and resources for community and global engagement.

On the academic side of the campaign ledger, donors contributed $73,546,967.18 to enhance scholarly activities and programs, provide a more robust classroom experience and increase extracurricular initiatives ranging from international study opportunities to undergraduate research and from support for internships to new endowed scholarships in multiple disciplines.

With the successful conclusion of 鈥淔ill the Western Sky,鈥� the university has turned attention to new philanthropic priorities for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, including an effort to raise $1.5

million for unrestricted scholarships. The initiative is designed to generate additional resources for WCU鈥檚 existing Catamount Commitment, which provides annual financial support to students from North Carolina based on academic performance and interests.

Also on tap looking forward is an effort to obtain $13 million in funding for a new strength and conditioning center to serve all Catamount student-athletes. The state-of-the-art facility will be a central hub for strength training, conditioning, recovery and competition preparation, serving the more than 350 student-athletes who represent WCU.

Ben Pendry, vice chancellor for advancement, closed the gala by expressing his appreciation to those who helped the campaign shatter its fundraising goal and sharing his optimism about WCU鈥檚 new philanthropic priorities.

鈥淢ake no mistake 鈥� the passion that people feel for this place, the dearest spot of all, is powerful. It is palpable. And it is profound,鈥� Pendry said. 鈥淚 hope you share my belief that there has never been a better time to be affiliated with the Catamount Nation. The future is bright for our beloved university, for the students who come here for the opportunities offered through higher education and for the region we were founded to serve.鈥� For more information about the campaign, visit the website .