$50,000 challenge gift from Worsley family now live

Elon University Trustee Cecil Worsley ’86 P’14 and his wife, JoAnna ’87 P’14, will match all gifts to Elon Athletics up to $50,000 if 500 new donors are secured by May 13.

Elon University Trustee Cecil Worsley ’86 P’14 and wife JoAnna Sutton Worsley ’87 P’14
Building Champions, a new campaign to support Elon’s student-athletes, is now underway thanks to a generous gift from Elon University Trustee Cecil Worsley ’86 P’14 and his wife, JoAnna ’87 P’14. The Worsleys will match all gifts to Elon Athletics up to $50,000 if 500 new donors are secured by May 13. Donors can participate in the Building Champions campaign by making a gift online or contacting Elon Athletics at (336) 278-6781.

The Worsleys have been strong supporters 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. Cecil Worsley was a member of the Elon men’s golf team.

Beginning in 2011, the couple also sponsored a three-year initiative to match gifts from former student-athletes up to $50,000 per year. Over the course of the initiative, which ended in 2013, giving participation among former student-athletes rose from 10 to 18 percent.

In 2012, the Worsleys were honored as two of the Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award winners. They are members of the Phoenix Club IMPACT Circle and the Founder’s Circle for Elon University and reside in Wilmington, N.C.

To learn more, visit www.elon.edu/buildingchampions.