Every time we endeavor to say thank you to our Wildcat Family, the same feeling rises to the surface: we are blown away by your generosity. In awe. During Giving Day 2022 last week, 660 donors gave 876 gifts for a grand total of $123,537 in support our current student-athletes and to plant seeds for an even brighter future.
 
"The support that our fans and alumni consistently show to our student-athletes is inspiring," said Wildcats Director of Athletics Anita Barker. "It's not just a much-needed financial boost, but it's also an emotional boost for all of us, reminding us that we not only compete for ourselves and each other, but also for those who have gone before and those in the community whose support we could not function without."
 
The money raised will be used for scholarships—which allow us to continue to attract the best and the brightest student-athletes into our program—as well as equipment, leadership opportunities, and more. Your support allows us to enhance the experiences of our 350-plus student-athletes and maintain our standing as the premiere NCAA Division II Athletic Department on the West Coast.
 
Associate Director of Athletic Development and Chico State volleyball alumnae Ellie Larronde has experienced what your support means from the perspective of a student-athlete, and now as a staff member. She describes feeling an immense amount of gratitude for the donors and donations, as well as the lasting impact they will make in the video above. 
 
Since the very beginning, Chico State Athletics has been a special program. And that continues today. Since joining the CCAA—the nation's premiere NCAA Division II conference— in 1998, Chico State's student-athletes have continued to:

• Excel academically.
• Contribute in the community.
• Conquer in competition.
  • 80 CCAA titles.
  • 37 West Region Championships.
  • 16 NCAA Champions.  

During our short time back together in 2021–22, Chico State's student-athletes are already back to blowing us away on every front. They've generated video companions aimed at encouraging all fellow Wildcats as part of their Scratch the Stigma initiative, re-launching with an enhanced version in March. They've earned six postseason berths, highlighted by CCAA and West Regional Men's Cross Country championships and the men's basketball team's highest-ever national and regional rankings. And they've excelled in the classroom, combining for 27 perfect 4.0 GPAs, while 217—more than two-thirds of them—earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
 
If you missed your opportunity to give last week, you can always support your favorite team, or the department at large, through the regular giving form. We go farther together than we do alone. Thank you, Wildcat Family!