Cullowhee, N.C. – Wednesday, March 25, marks the fourth annual "
One Day for Western," an all-in day of giving designed to benefit multiple areas of the university, including Catamount Athletics, while also enhancing student experiences by inviting the WCU community and Catamount Nation to make donations to priorities identified by campus partners.
For 2026, the 24-hour fundraising initiative will again focus on seeking support for sport-specific funds benefiting individual Catamount teams – baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, football, men's and women's golf, soccer, softball, women's tennis, and volleyball. The drive includes raising dollars for the Catamount cheerleading program, the Catamount Club Scholarship Fund, and athletics facilities renovations.
Every gift counts, and together, Catamount Nation can help make an impact for WCU's students and student-athletes.
CLICK HERE to make your donation now!
This year's 24-hour day of giving will include a special "Old School" phonathon centered around the Grand Room in the Hinds University Center, where volunteers, including students, student-athletes, and even members of the Catamount Athletics coaching staff, will make outreach calls for donations and engagement. Supporters can donate, become advocates through social media, become "Catamount Captains" to share personalized links and notes, and also participate in challenges to support the various campus initiatives.
More than 1,350 donors made gifts and pledges totaling approximately $367,000 during the third annual "
One Day for Western" in 2025. That tally included at least one donation from every state in the union.
Last year's campaign also helped push membership in the Catamount Club, WCU's athletics booster organization, beyond 2,000, unlocking a previously issued $1 million challenge gift from former WCU football player Teddy Phillips Jr., CEO of Phillips Infrastructure Holdings. That $1 million pledge was directed toward enhancements to the university's athletics facilities – specifically upgrades to E.J. Whitmire Stadium.
In that same spirit, the upcoming "
One Day for Western" will also
feature several donor challenges in hopes of maximizing the philanthropic impact of gifts. Goals of the challenges will vary; some will be based on raising specific dollar amounts, while others will be based on donor participation rates.
All gifts received during "
One Day for Western" count toward the official tally for the "
Fill the Western Sky" comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university's academic, student engagement, and athletics programs. For more information or to contribute to the campaign, visit
WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email
advancement@wcu.edu.
For more information about "One Day for Western," visit the website
OneDay.wcu.edu or call 828-227-7335.
Related Information Links:
One Day for Western – Information: https://oneday.wcu.edu/
One Day for Western – Challenges: https://oneday.wcu.edu/challenges/
One Day for Western – Donate Now: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/75223/donations/new?pre_launch_page_id=5675
Western Carolina University: https://www.wcu.edu/
Live Western: https://livewestern.wcu.edu/
Fill the Western Sky campaign: https://westernsky.wcu.edu/
Join the Catamount Club: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/21052/donations/new
