With an engaging keynote speech delivered by Canadian Football League commissioner Mark Cohon and the seasoned skills of TSN personality Gino Reda at the microphone as emcee, The University of Western Ontario held a successful second annual scholarship breakfast on Tuesday to raise funds for athletic financial awards for Mustangs student-athletes.
The breakfast was held at the London Convention Centre on March 24 with almost 400 people in attendance. All proceeds from the event go to athletic financial awards (AFAs).
Canadian Football League commissioner Mark Cohon
To date, Western has raised more than $1 million for athletic financial awards.
“I’m very pleased to report that since May of 2007, alumni and friends have donated more than $1 million toward the Mustang scholarship program,” says Western president Paul Davenport. “These exceptional student-athletes are wonderful ambassadors for Western, and we take a great deal of pride in celebrating and supporting their success.”
In addition to $700,000 in seed money for the AFAs provided by the university in 2007, Western aims to raise $4 million in private support by 2014 to create an endowment that will ensure Mustang scholarships continue to be funded in perpetuity.
“Such achievements, however, require an extraordinary degree of commitment, sacrifice and support,” says Davenport. “Student-athletes grapple not only with the rising costs of higher education, but also with the added expenses associated with competition,” he said.
“Add to that the extra time demands of practices, games, travel and training, and it’s easy to see that being a student-athlete – particularly one who maintains high grades – is indeed a challenge.”
Starting with the 2007-08 season, Western’s varsity teams began awarding up to $3,500 per year to eligible student-athletes as part of the university’s recruitment efforts.
To qualify for these awards, student-athletes must enter Western with a minimum academic average of 80 per cent. And to continue receiving this annual award, they must maintain an average of 70 per cent while keeping a position on their team.
This season, 151 student-athletes received an AFA.
“The recruiting environment has always been competitive and has become more so with the introduction of athletic financial assistance,” says Stephan Barrie, head coach of Western’s women’s basketball team.
“For Western to remain at the top of the class, it is critical that we support our athletic programs by continuing to raise funds for financial assistance,” Barrie adds. “In doing so, Western will be able to attract the top student-athletes from across the province and the country to come to our tremendous university.”
“And in doing so, Western will remain the very best in the nation.”
Clarke Singer, head coach of the Mustangs men’s hockey team, agrees.
“The landscape in Canadian university sport has changed significantly in the last few years,” Singer says. “We need your assistance to remain competitive at the national and provincial level, and to help our teams continue to win national and provincial championships.”
Adam Nemeth, a sophomore defenceman with the Mustangs men’s hockey team, says athletic scholarships have helped him “tremendously.”
“Without the time for a job, and all my school work and hockey practice, they (athletic financial awards) really help me to focus on school and keep my marks up. I believe that athletic scholarships have helped the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team to be able to build a team around a large nucleus and bring in the right guys to bring us to a national championship.”
For Kelly Moulden, a rookie guard with the Mustangs women’s basketball team, an athletic financial award helped her to choose Western as it gave her the financial support to leave home for school.
“The athletic financial assistance has been very important to me because it allows me to focus on school and basketball while I’m here without having to worry about a part-time job,” she says.
Fresh off a second straight Yates Cup championship and their first berth in the Vanier Cup national football final in some time, Western’s football team has also benefited from the awards.
“Athletic financial awards are an important recruiting tool,” says Greg Marshall, head coach of the Western Mustangs men’s football team. “But in the competitive game of recruiting, we need every edge.
Davenport, attending the breakfast in his final year of 15 as the university’s president thanks all those who attended the breakfast and for those who have made gifts throughout the year.
“Let me say that it’s clear that participating in Mustang athletics enhances the student experience by developing leadership, teamwork and goal-setting skills,” he says. “And it teaches the value of achievement realized through hard work. The Mustangs scholarship program links athletics to the academic mission of the university, and to the larger community, by promoting values that extend well beyond the field of competition.”