Fundraising Opportunities

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GV Dad
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:52 pm

Everyone seems to be fired up right now for Fundraising.  Let's start a thread for brainstorming.  

https://goleathernecks.com/sports/2014/ ... 44222.aspx

 
GV Dad
Posts: 1013
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 In Feb 2020, our Player Family group did a fundraiser for the new Nutrition Center in the weight room.  We decorated and stocked it, and donated the remaining funds to the team to help keep it stocked for the semester.  All in, we donated close to $4000 worth of Cash and Product.  

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rocki
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So, does everything have to go through this "Give Campus" site?
GV Dad
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rocki wrote: Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:41 pm So, does everything have to go through this "Give Campus" site?

 
No, it's just one avenue.  You can always donate to the Leatherneck Club and designate where you wat your funds to go.  
rocki
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GV wrote:Thu Jan 01, 1970 3:49 am
rocki wrote: Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:41 pm So, does everything have to go through this "Give Campus" site?


 
No, it's just one avenue.  You can always donate to the Leatherneck Club and designate where you wat your funds to go.  

 
I understand donating through the LC, I was speaking of a group getting together and trying to start fundraising for the stadium upgrades, revamp, whatever you want to call it.
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Neckfansince71
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A good deal of the money for the new scoreboard at Hanson came from the LC which was a progressive step for the club.  GV Dad is right.  It’s easier at the moment to donate to the Leatherneck Club by being a member than establishing a campaign page although the campaigns for Iowa are pretty neatly presented.  When things begin to officially move for the football building, I plan on not only giving to the Leatherneck Club and the Purple and Gold, but also to the building too.  Rocki, I get very impatient too.  I saw the eastside of Hanson and its green and old set of single bleachers replaced by the treated wooden bleachers which we filled to almost capacity for many games from 1971 to the early 80's.  Then a "Rebuild the Rock" campaign allowed the stadium folding seats to be installed on the westside along with a new press box.  Gil Peterson said on a Gordy Taylor interview that the movers and shakers of Macomb really did not see the need for a fancy press box with elite seating in Macomb, a blindness we have suffered from for close to 50 years.  Not sure what was the excuse for no updating our facilities even though we did construct an adequate softball facility in the meantime.  When Tim Austin arrived, finally we had someone who had a true vision of what it took to be D1.  Can't remember what he named his campaign but along the way locker rooms for men’s and women's basketball and volleyball took shape, the baseball stadium was designed and completed, and 5 million dollars from student fees was used to upgrade and replace the east side with a nice very nice seating structure and concessions.  Of course, the home team's side was the eastside, and this reasoning was used for the funds that were necessary to get the job done.  I was very happy that we no longer had to use porta potties almost in the north endzone.  Oh, the track and football field also were updated along with the lights for Hanson too.  The same alum that installed the lights also penned a large amount of money for the baseball stadium.  (Next time you go to a WIU baseball game, stand directly in the middle of the cement stands and look left and look right and you will see that someone was just little off when they surveyed the field and dugout feature.  We have had the scoreboard replace in the "Hall" and the seating replaced too.  I know some people continue to cut down the "Hall" but I find it very nice and a really great place to pack the place with students and community fans for a real home court advantage.  Sure wish though that Matt had had enough money to close out at least one baseline area with more seats.  I said I have gotten impatient and that is a fact.  I am still waiting for the CPA money to arrive from Springfield and I wonder to if I will ever see the westside redeveloped.  6 years ago, on January 9 I took a train ride down to Macomb with a football alumnus who was ready to supply the organizational skills to "fix" the westside.  Tommy Bell had obtained a redesign from the specs that Van Alstine had developed, and it seemed like we had some large donor's that were ready to go.  There was a beautiful brochure that was presented at the spring game of that year.  We had football alumni and some town people on board.  We had Charlie Fisher beating the drum with us replacing Bob Neilson who had helped to get the ball rolling too.  But, at some point, state funding was held captive by Rauner and money and enthusiasm dried up quickly, especially when the press was suggesting that WIU might be included in the schools rumored to be closed in the future.  Enrollment also took a hit as we all know.  Besides that, a playoff game at Weber State changed the "want list" with a football building rather than a west side rehab.  The cost basically was the same as the westside but would directly support student athletes and the athletic department.  I still think that the CPA funding kept getting in the way of anything "football" facility related as far as Goldfarb and Jack Thomas were concerned but that’s my opinion.  Bell left for SIU but his tenure as AD was done quickly.  Matt left because of a family situation but you got to wonder if he could see the storm clouds of COVID approaching.  And now ladies and gentlemen, it is time to get moving again and the athletic department knows it.  There are still more department members to be hired but the wheels are once again beginning to turn.  I found working as the Chicago LC Liaison that there are a ton of people out there that love WIU and have the same feelings about their four years there as I did and still do.  I would love to start contacting people again.  The wheels are turning once again!!!!  Oh, once last comment.  On Christmas eve at Home Depot around 9:00 am I met two people who I worked closely with at my school of 34 years.  He is a special ed. teacher, and she is a guidance counselor.  I had my WIU hat, mask, and sweatshirt on and they noticed.  At the end of our catchup time the counselor said, WIU is my son's choice for a medium sized school, and we are headed there soon.  Their daughter's experience at ISU had not gone well and she is now headed to Elmhurst.  But we are back on the list folks.  The wheels are turning!  jc ;)
  
 
Last edited by Neckfansince71 on Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Western_101
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Thank you for this post Neck Fan. You are beloved by many myself included.

I will not go down the road of "ifs and whats" but there definatley was a Billionaire that gained his reputation on hostile takeovers that thought he would simply apply those same tactics to politics and target his political adversaries. It didn't end to his liking but he wasn't affected personally. Starving out public universities for a political win is abhorrent WIU, EIU, SIU, and to a lesser extent NIU were devastated.

I have contempt and hatred in my soul for the politicians 30 years ago that raided the pension fund, knowing full well that there would be a reckoning day that their grandchildren would pay for making Illinois a place people wouldn't want to live or locate businesses. 

I think people and politicians are coming to their senses again and realizing that we have to value our universities and that each state university offers unique values that should be supported.
 
GV Dad
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Great post JC!  I know there is a ton of excitement right now, and I think we need to take advantage of that. One of the things that always has frustrated me is how unbelievably slow to move that Western is. And it has nothing to do with being a public institution, as other schools that I’ve been associated with don’t suffer from the same ailment.  I wish they would give you the keys to the LC and get the hell out of your way!  We’d be so much better off!  
GV Dad
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:52 pm

Here is a link to a new fundraising campaign by the Athletic Dept to enhance the Fuel Zone in the wieghtroom (photos posted eariler in this thread).  I think I saw that Scott made a post about this in the general Athletics thread as well.  

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/West ... dizXK_EVxI
 
 
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