Phoenix Club fundraiser receives gifts from 270 former student-athletes.
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With a goal of receiving 250 gifts from former Elon student-athletes in the month of October, the recent Worsley Match program sponsored by the Phoenix Club was a huge success. The initiative, made possible by a 2:1 matching gift from former Elon golfer Cecil Worsley ’86 and his wife Joanna ’87, far exceeded its goal as 270 former student-athletes made gifts totaling over $100,000 towards Elon’s athletic scholarship fund last month.
“It is so exciting to see the tremendous support from our former student-athletes in the first year of the Worsley Match,” said Elon Director of Athletics Dave Blank. “This support speaks volumes about how our former student-athletes remember Elon as they chose to financially support those who have followed in their footsteps. We are very appreciative of the generosity of Cecil and Joanna to make this initiative possible and to our former student-athletes for raising the bar for the future Worsley Match challenges.”
This was the first time that the Phoenix Club took on a matching gift program. The Worsley Match raised $108,567.10. Of the 270 donors, 139 are new Phoenix Club members while 54 had never before given to athletics. A total of 20 are first-time donors to the university.
A former member of the golf team, Worsley has been a strong supporter of Elon Athletics for many years. On September 4, 2009, Elon dedicated the W. Cecil Worsley III Golf Training Center on South Campus, which was funded through a generous gift from the Worsley family. The facility serves as the headquarters for both the men’s and women’s golf programs and includes an indoor practice area with hitting bays and a computerized swing analysis center as well as a putting area and players’ lounge.
The Worsley’s are members of the Phoenix Club IMPACT Circle and the Founder’s Circle for Elon University and reside in Wilmington, N.C. The couple’s son, Cecil IV, is a junior at Elon.