The TRU WolfPack are launching a new fundraising campaign that aims to take them to a higher level of excellence in university sport.
 
The WolfPack 50 campaign was developed by Diana Major, director of development annual giving, and men's soccer coach John Antulov as a way for alumni to stay connected and engaged with the current teams.
 
"Our hope is that our alumni look back on their time here in a positive way and recognize the investment the institution made in them as student athletes and see this as an opportunity to give back. We hope they want to support current student athletes and allow them to enjoy the same fantastic experiences they had while they were here," said Curtis Atkinson, director of athletics and recreation.
 
With TRU's 50th anniversary approaching in 2020, the WolfPack believe it is the perfect time to launch this affordable program.
 
"If you look across the landscape of U SPORTS, you'll see that graduating athletes tend to give back to the programs that supported them and gave them an opportunity to study and play sports. University College of the Cariboo and TRU don't have a history of that and I believe it's an area we can grow and develop over the years," said Dustin McIntyre, WolfPack director of development.
 
Sticking with the 50 theme, the WolfPack's goal is to find 50 donors to contribute a $50 monthly gift to either the men's or women's basketball, soccer or volleyball programs. From there, McIntyre and the WolfPack are hoping donors will consider a donation agreement lasting anywhere from one to three years, or beyond.
 
"We think $50 a month is a comfortable amount to ask for. If each U SPORTS team registers 50 people this year, that will be 300 people. That money will add up rather quickly," McIntyre said. "The money we raise from this program will go towards paying assistant coaches, producing future scholarships and increasing travel opportunities which we think will help our players develop to the highest level possible."
 
Currently, the WolfPack 50 is only operating for the men's soccer program, as Antulov was one of the minds behind the program. He also has his own alumni newsletter, a group of alumni that meets throughout the year and a list of donors who have helped the program for the past decade. Since the creation of the WolfPack 50, he has already had a handful of names jump on board.
 
"We are starting from scratch here. We want to invite our alumni out to games and events like the Sebastian Gardner fundraiser as a way to keep them involved. The feedback we've received so far has been great, but it's going to be a long process," Antulov said. "One donor at a time."
 
Later this year, the WolfPack 50 will open up to women's soccer, along with both men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. McIntyre is targeting the annual WolfPack Scholarship Breakfast on September 24, or the home openers for the respected sports to launch the other programs.
 
The WolfPack 50 will also be there to support the other athletic programs. Whether it's the swimming and cross-country U SPORTS teams, or the club programs of baseball and cheerleading, fundraising options exist for them, too, so long as there's interest.
 
"We absolutely want to help all the programs out. Right now, our focus is getting it up and running with the U SPORTS teams, but if there is fundraising interest with those other programs, we can definitely get them involved at some point," McIntyre said.
 
While 50 donors for each team might be the goal, it certainly isn't the limitation. If a team is able to recruit more donors, extra support will be celebrated. Donors are also welcome to extend their contract beyond three years if they choose, or contribute to the program in a bigger way.
 
"There's no denying the type of impact our athletic program has had on the alumni that have already passed through. We feel that if we achieve our goal, we can drastically change the athletic program for the better and impact even more lives and careers," McIntyre said.
 
For more information on how to sign up for the WolfPack 50, please contact Major at dmajor@tru.caor 1-250-852-7139.

This story and others like it appeared in the new Alumni Newsletter. To subscribe and receive stories such as this, along with other information about news and events with the WolfPack, update your information through TRU Alumni Association.