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Catamount Club

Catamount Club 50th Anniversary

A graphic with the number 50 and "Celebrating 50 Years" for the Catamount Club's anniversary

 

It was early in the 1968-69 athletic season that Jim Gudger ’48, WCU’s basketball coach and interim athletic director, and Clint Dodson, head of WCU’s science department, first pulled together a fundraising organization to support student-athletes. It was called the Big Cat Club, and it would evolve into today’s Catamount Club.

Fifty years later, the Catamount Club has grown to become the heartbeat of WCU athletics, funding approximately 50 percent of the department’s student scholarships with $1.57 million in annual gifts last fiscal year.

$50,000 for 50 Years

In honor of our Golden Anniversary, generous donor and former student-athlete Tad Grattan '87 has issued a challenge to all supporters. He's asking members to increase their annual gift by at least $50 and asking new donors to come to the table at any level. If we receive 500 new or increased memberships, Tad will donate $50,000 to support student-athletes! Help us reach this goal and unlock Tad's $50,000 challenge gift!

Join or Renew Today

Watch the Founders Video

We pulled together some of the original members of the Catamount Club to reminisce about our early years:



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