51看片Greek Challenge nets $1.5 million for Catamount Club; winners announced
By Bill Studenc
Members of 51看片 fraternities and sororities contributed more than $1.5 million to the Catamount Club during the 2024-2025 edition of the Greek Challenge, an annual competition to see which organizations can raise the most money in support of the university鈥檚 athletics program.
Winners of this year鈥檚 challenge are Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, Sigma Chi fraternity, Delta Zeta sorority and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Those organizations will be recognized in an on-field celebration during WCU鈥檚 home football game Saturday, Nov. 8, as part of Homecoming weekend.
The $1,527,383.87 raised through the recently concluded challenge is more than double the total of $613,196.16 donated during the previous year鈥檚 competition, said Wes Cogdill, Catamount Club director and 51看片associate athletics director for development.
鈥淪ince it began in 2014, the Greek Challenge is among the most successful fundraising activities for the Catamount Club,鈥� Cogdill said. 鈥淢embers of our fraternity and sorority organizations have always stepped up in a major way on behalf of our student-athletes, and this year鈥檚 results reinforce that high level of support.鈥�
The 2024-2025 Greek Challenge is the first competition held with a new scoring rubric based on the total number of number of donors, the number of new donors and the total amount of dollars raised by each fraternity and sorority.
Participating Greek-letter organizations receive points based on where they place for each category. The group with the fewest number of points is named winner of its division.
The challenge is broken down into four flights based on the size of each organization鈥檚 membership, a step designed to make the event more equitable, with each flight having its own winner.
For the 鈥渢otal donors鈥� category, the number of members who gave toward qualifying funds during the timeline of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, count toward that organization鈥檚 Greek Challenge tally. Checks that are mailed to campus are counted based on the date on the postmark on the envelope.
The 鈥渘ew donors鈥� category counts the total amount of members who did not participate in the previous year鈥檚 Greek Challenge but who have donated during the current year鈥檚 Greek Challenge.
Finally, the 鈥渢otal dollars raised鈥� category is a tally of the entire amount raised by each organization given to any 51看片athletics fund that is not endowed.
The challenge totals include not only alumni of the Greek organizations but also current members of the fraternities or sororities who are part of the newly revived Student Cat Club.
The clock is now ticking for the 2025-2026 Greek Challenge, which got underway July 1 and continues through June 30.
The Greek Challenge flights are:
* Interfraternity Council Flight One: Pi Kappa Alpha, Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Sigma Phi, Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
* Interfraternity Council Flight Two: Sigma Chi, Pi Kappa Phi, Theta Xi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Lambda Phi, Kappa Sigma, Alpha Sigma Phi, Sigma Nu and Delta Chi.
* College Panhellenic Council Sorority Flight Three: Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Zeta, Phi Mu, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Kappa.
* National Pan-Hellenic/ National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations Flight Four: Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, Zeta Phi Beta sorority, and Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi sorority.
For more information about the Catamount Club, including the Student Catamount Club, visit the website or call 828-227-7338.
Donations made during the Greek Challenge also go toward WCU鈥檚 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs.
For more information about the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign or to make a contribution, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
