On Monday, officials at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington announced that the school’s track and cross country programs will continue for their 2015–16 seasons. The sports were scheduled for elimination by the financially strapped UNCW athletic department last December. But on February 26, William Sederburg, then the chancellor of UNCW, challenged a group of athletes, parents, alumni and others to raise $250,000 by May 31. Pro Runners Ask: Is My Agent Worth the Fee.
It came down to the wire, but the total on Monday was $255,781.59, accumulated thanks to 766 donations.
Save UNCW Track, the group that spearheaded the successful fundraising, can't rest, however. That’s because another $800,000 in donated funds must be amassed by February 1, 2016, to refurbish the school’s outdoor track facility and ensure the programs’ future beyond next spring. The group has approached several potential major donors, but none have committed to providing support.
Roy Love, Save UNCW Track’s lead organizer, is optimistic. “We’ve built a lot of momentum,” Love told Runner’s World Newswire. “All the people who got behind us this spring made a statement, and going forward we’ll be in partnership with the university.” A new chancellor, Zito Sarterelli, arrives on the UNCW campus July 1, and Love hopes he’ll quickly express long-term support of the programs. “It really wouldn’t be fair to the coaches and the athletes to be in limbo another entire year,” Love said.
