Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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2 CAVALIER CORNER 2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS President Alan A. McClure, Atlanta, Ga. Vice President Juliana Schulte O'Reilly, McLean, Va. Secretary-Treasurer Dirk P. Katstra, Charlottesville, Va. Immediate Past President William L. Tyson, Richmond, Va. Trustees Mia M. Bass, Alexandria, Va. Charles R. Birdsong, Suffolk, Va. Franklin S. Edmonds Jr., Charlottesville, Va. James T. Fang, Williamsburg, Va. G. Slaughter Fitz-Hugh III, Richmond, Va. W. Heywood Fralin, Roanoke, Va. Edmund F. Garno III, Haverford, Pa. Michael S. Geismar, Charlottesville, Va. Marvin W. Gilliam Jr., Bristol, Va. Yusef D. Jackson, Chicago, Ill. Gregory S. Ledford, Washington, D.C. Mark M. Luellen, Charlottesville, Va. Douglas S. Luke Jr., New York, N.Y. T. Douglas McQuade, Roanoke, Va. Juliana Schulte O'Reilly, McLean, Va. Barry L. Parkhill, Keswick, Va. Cynthia Brinker Simmons, Dallas, Texas Anne Carter Smith, Charlotte, N.C. A. Wellford Tabor, Charlotte, N.C. Carla G. Williams, Charlottesville, Va. Mission Statement The Virginia Athletics Foundation, through its fundraising efforts, strives to support a preeminent intercollegiate athletics program at the University of Virginia by providing student- athletes the opportunity to achieve academic and athletic excellence. Virginia Athletics Foundation P.O. Box 400833 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4833 (434) 982-5555 | (800) 626-8723 (434) 982-5025 FAX www.VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com Dear Cavalier Fans, The fourth quarter of the fundraising year is upon us and our activity is at an all-time high. Our staff is working hard to fin- ish several efforts while at the same time focusing on our most exciting and ambitious project – the new athletics master plan. Annual Fund The Annual Fund continues to be the primary source of scholarship funding for the athletics program and where all do- nors can have a significant impact. Our scholarship expenses will exceed $18 million this year which accounts for a 4% in- crease in tuition. We continue to encourage donors to increase Annual Fund pledges by 10% each year to help with this effort. Additionally, making an Annual Fund gift each and every year is critical to our ongoing growth. Over the last several years, we have been successful in attracting new donors but it has been offset by losing several hun- dred members thus limiting our overall growth. A healthy scholarship funding model relies on consistent giving and we hope to see improvement in this area this year. Endowment The University renewed the Bicentennial Scholars Fund initiative which provides matching funds for endowed scholarship commitments. This is the second effort of this kind and was widely successful across the University. For athletics, the Bicenten- nial Scholars Fund will match fifty cents on the gift dollar to create permanent athlet- ics scholarships of $100,000 or more. There are many opportunities to create new scholarships and have a lasting impact on our student-athletes. These types of gifts are critical to relieving pressure on the Annual Fund. The Dean Family Golf Performance Center The University of Virginia Board of Visitors recently approved the naming of the new golf practice facility at Birdwood Golf Course. We continue to wrap up the fundraising to support the project and ongoing operational needs of the new building as the men's and women's golf teams prepare to move into their new home. New Tennis Complex at Boars Head Sports Club We have launched the last stage of the fundraising to create a new home for the men's and women's tennis programs. The new images of the facility can be found on our website and inside this issue. The projected cost of the project is $10.5 million plus ongoing operational and maintenance costs and we have surpassed $8.3 million in fundraising. Athletics Master Plan This issue of the Cavalier Corner provides details of the athletics master plan. The Football Operations Center is certainly an important component of this effort, as we support head coach Bronco Mendenhall in building the football program. The plan also includes three new natural grass practice fields – two for football and one multi- sport field. Another important component of the plan is the Olympic Sports Center which is designed to support all 750 student-athletes competing in 27 varsity sports. A new pedestrian promenade will provide connectivity from Central Grounds to North Grounds. There is more to the plan so I encourage all our fans and donors to learn more about this project and how to support the effort. We will need the help from our entire fan base to complete this project. As we all enjoy watching our student-athletes compete in the fall sports, I am grateful for the support of our donor base. Your generosity is felt daily by the student- athletes as they earn valuable degrees, compete for championships and develop leader- ship skills that will last a lifetime. Thank you! Best regards, Dirk P. Katstra Executive Director Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/VirginiaAthleticsFoundation