Erskine Athletic Program Seeks ‘Return To Glory’ Through Gold Campaign One of the eight pillars in the recently announced Gold Campaign is a “return to glory” for Erskine College athletics. The largest capital campaign in the college’s history is expected to raise $35.3 million for endowed professorships and scholarships, a campus master plan, the Drummond Center, the Erskine Building, Memorial Hall, the seminary and the athletic program. The college wants to enhance an athletic tradition that is more than a century old. The school plans to provide about $4 million for athletics — $3 million in endowed scholarships and $1 million in program support. Athletic Director Chip Sherer said the department has been working toward its goal for several years. “The genesis for our $4 million campaign started in August 2000,” he said, noting that the athletic department slowed its efforts once plans were made to include athletics in the school’s Gold Campaign. “Now that the public phase is in place, we’ll go back to the alumni of different sports for support in the Gold Campaign effort,” Sherer said. At the same time, the athletic department is working to maintain support of the Annual Fund and the efforts of the Flying Fleet Club, an organization the college uses to support its athletic program. Flying Fleet Club President Steve Southwell said the inclusion of an athletics component in the Gold Campaign “shows that Erskine is ready to return to previous levels of success. It is imperative that the endowment for athletics be increased to provide additional athletic scholarships and program support.” The mission of the Flying Fleet Club is to enrich the athletic program at Erskine by maintaining membership in the club, being aware of and promoting the athletic functions of the college, encouraging others to become active in the affairs of the club, and supporting the ideals of good sportsmanship and competitive spirit among Erskine’s student-athletes. As of June 30, the club had 776 members. “Membership in the club is composed of those alumni, faculty and friends of Erskine College who by their gifts and contributions have demonstrated their interest in the mission of the club,” Southwell said. Membership requires a donation of $1. Sherer said it is hoped that contacting athletic alumni about one-time gifts to the Gold Campaign will encourage more former athletes to support the athletic program on a consistent basis. Southwell said the club is addressing the issue of getting more student-athlete alumni involved in the club. “We are currently working on an Athletic Alumni Day that would bring former student-athletes on campus in the spring of 2004,” he said. “We have had some success with Alumni Days for individual sports.” Southwell said the club would like to bring all former student-athletes to campus with their families for fellowship and reminiscing. He said the club hosts events to support the athletic programs at Erskine. “The club sponsors the annual Erskine Open golf tournament in June and the Fund the Fleet golf tournament in the fall,” Southwell said. “The funds we raise from these two tournaments are used to fund the Flying Fleet Hall of Fame banquet and help cover the increasing cost of insurance for our student-athletes.” Southwell said one of the benefits of being president of the Flying Fleet Club is that he’s also a member of the Alumni Board. “I have been attending alumni meetings across the state to promote the Flying Fleet Cub,” he said. “Ralph Patterson, our new alumni director, has welcomed me at these meetings and allowed me some time to speak about the club.” Also, the athletic department Web site now has an option that allows people to join the Flying Fleet Club by clicking on the Flying Fleet Club button. “Our coaches over the past couple of years have done excellent jobs raising funds for their sports,” Southwell said. “They have been successful by utilizing their players, families and friends in raising money for their respective sports.” Only two of Erskine’s 10 sports – men’s soccer and baseball – are funded with scholarships at the maximum level allowed by the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference, he said. Sherer said six additional sports – men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and softball – would be funded at the maximum scholarship level if the goal is reached. “Competing against other schools endowed at the maximum level means Erskine is not competing on a level playing field,” Southwell said. “The board of trustees recognized that Erskine needs more endowed athletic scholarships and program money to be competitive.” He said to be able to recruit and keep quality student-athletes, Erskine athletic teams need program money to provide them with a quality experience. “A competitive athletic program enhances campus life and increases positive press coverage,” Southwell said. Sherer said meeting the Gold Campaign goal will “aid our efforts to be more successful.”