UND Fighting Sioux Club has another record-breaking year
Grand Forks, N.D. (March 7, 2011) – The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Club, the lead fundraising arm for UND Athletics, has finished a fifth consecutive record-breaking year. In 2010-11, $2.19 million was raised for student-athlete scholarships and athletic program support.
“Our members continue to amaze me,” said UND Director of Athletics Brian Faison. “To get over the $2 million mark for the third year in a row is a testament to not only the most passionate donors in the country, but also the most generous. The impact they are making on campus is evident every day when I see our student-athletes practicing and competing.”
The Fighting Sioux Club provides the support necessary for UND student-athletes to get an education and have the best competitive experience in their sport.
“A scholarship offers me an opportunity to pursue my education and athletic career at a place that I love,” said UND women’s hockey student-athlete Jocelyne Lamoureux. “Those opportunities aren't just in the classroom and at the hockey rink, but meeting with kids and trying to make an impact on the community is something that goes farther and means more than grades and stats. Fighting Sioux Club members’ support is unbelievably appreciated.”
Along with record dollars, the Fighting Sioux Club’s membership remained steady, with 2,334 Sioux fans loyally supporting UND Athletics, a substantial increase from 1996, the first year of the Fighting Sioux Club, when there were 621 members. Donations that first year totaled $368,000.
“Fighting Sioux Club members are difference-makers for UND Athletics and to keep experiencing the growth that we have going back to the start of the Fighting Sioux Club is phenomenal,” said Fighting Sioux Club Executive Director Josh Morton. “Quite simply, we couldn’t do it without their support. Championships start with scholarships and this year we see it again, not only in competition, but in the classroom and community as well.”
The Fighting Sioux Club is a primary source of private support for UND Athletics. The membership club, operated by the UND Foundation, supports scholarships and programs for UND’s 20 athletic programs.
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Contacts:
Josh Morton, Fighting Sioux Club Executive Director, (701) 777-4216 or joshm@undfoundation.org
Milo Smith, Media Relations Coordinator (701)777-0831 or milos@undalumni.net