Nov. 4, 2013

On Oct. 23, the Athletics Department participated in Donor Appreciation Day, a campus wide-initiative where students across campus signed thank you cards for Gamecock donors. Organized by the University of South Carolina Donor Relations/Annual Giving Office, this is one of two annual days of thanks, with Donor Appreciation Day in the Fall and Thank Alumni for Giving (TAG) Day in the Spring. Coordinated efforts took place all over campus to have South Carolina students sign thank you cards to be sent to donors.

The athletics department relies heavily on Gamecock Club donors for the support of student-athletes’ scholarships and overall experience while at the University. Participating in Donor Appreciation Day was one way for student-athletes and the department to express their gratitude. Similar to TAG Day, the athletics department’s efforts were led by Kendall Belk, Coordinator of Stewardship and Development Communications, and were headquartered in the Dodie Anderson Academic Center, where our student-athletes spend much of their study time and eat their meals. Athletics Director Ray Tanner and Cocky even stopped by to lend their support.

“Both TAG Day and Donor Appreciation Day are very important to Gamecock Athletics,” Belk explained. “It is important to our student-athletes, coaches and staff to thank those who have contributed to the student-athlete experience. These folks are our biggest fans, and we want to let them know they are appreciated for their dedication to our programs.”

Erica Nelson, Coordinator of Life Skills and Community Outreach, was instrumental in the success of this initiative. Nelson coordinated the South Carolina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) involvement with the day. SAAC members worked with the Gamecock Club throughout the day to make sure student-athletes in the area would stop by and sign the thank you cards.

Belk shared that student-athletes from a wide range of sports participated in the event – men’s basketball, women’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, and more. Over 300 thank you cards were signed on Donor Appreciation Day this year, with a total of over 1,800 signed campus-wide.

Thank you to the thousands of Gamecock fans who support South Carolina Athletics through donating to the Gamecock Club!

Check out the Gamecock Club website, including information on upcoming events and how to become a member.