Women’s basketball program alumnae reunion supported by Fund for WCU, 1889 Impact Grants
More than 30 former members of the Western Carolina University women’s basketball team are recognized at midcourt as part of reunion activities made possible by an 1889 Impact Grant.
By Bill Studenc
The Catamount women’s basketball program is among the beneficiaries of financial support awarded to a variety of campus partners as part of the latest round of 1889 Impact Grants, an initiative made possible by contributions to the Fund for WCU.
The women’s basketball team held a 2024 spring semester reunion that brought together current Catamount student-athletes and former players as part of an effort to build a stronger sense of community and camaraderie within the women’s program. The event was funded through $2,000 from the 1889 Impact Grants Program.
More than 30 former players returned to campus for the reunion – the largest number of former women’s basketball team members to gather at their alma mater in more than a decade. Attendees included members of the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame, the 1969 Hall of Fame team, and Brenda Johnson Hamilton, the program’s first African American player, said Kyle Pifer, deputy athletics director.
“Some alumnae had not been back in 20 years, so having this event was a breath of fresh air for them. They were truly amazed by all the new changes on campus,” Pifer said. “Over the years, event participation has continued to improve through help from the 1889 Impact Grant.”
Launched in 2021, the 1889 Impact Grants Program is designed to provide a consistent source of funding for colleges and other units at WCU in support of initiatives that enhance the engagement of alumni and community stakeholders with the philanthropic activities of the university.
Funding for the program comes from annual contributions to the Fund for WCU, including leadership gifts from members of the 1889 Club, which recognizes donors for gifts made on an annual basis to the Fund for WCU. The club, among four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on the institution, is named in honor of the year of WCU’s founding.
Campus partners requested more than $176,000 in 1889 Impact Grants through 23 campuswide grant applications for the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Division of Advancement allocated $47,000 overall for 12 projects, a slight increase from the $43,500 in grant funding awarded last year.
The WCU Foundation Board Executive Committee reviews all submissions and selects the awardees in the fall of each year. In addition to the 1889 Impact Grants Program, the Fund for WCU provides first-year access scholarships to new incoming freshmen and transfer students and supports ongoing donor stewardship efforts.
To learn more about the 1889 Impact Grants Program, visit the Fund for WCU website.
