The Department of Athletics is proud to announce that the She’s Got Game initiative has reached its ambitious $2.5 million fundraising goal set in 2018.
At the annual She’s Got Game Gala on Saturday, Feb. 24, the Department of Athletics shared that a total of $2,520,613 has been raised to advance gender equity and women in sport through She’s Got Game, the first and largest campaign of its kind in Canada.
Over the last six years, She’s Got Game has supported 550 student-athletes with She’s Got Game scholarships. Beyond fundraising, Athletics has instituted policy changes around equal pay, supported the hiring of two new women’s coaches and now boasts representation of women on every single coaching staff of the University’s women’s teams.
As a result, She’s Got Game has made great strides towards achieving gender balance in sport at U of G, advancing the goal of transforming our University through Indigenization and equity, diversity and inclusion set out in Our Time: University of Guelph Strategic Plan 2022-27. She’s Got Game has been a trailblazing program for gender equity and has inspired the creation of similar campaigns at other universities as well as locally.
Thank you for your support
Meeting this monumental fundraising goal would not have been possible without the dedicated support from students, faculty, staff, and alumni across the University. With 1,370 unique donors contributing to the initiative and supporters establishing over 51 named scholarships for women student-athletes, it is a true testament to our community’s commitment to creating equal opportunities for women in sports.
Whether you participated in Gryphon Domino’s Pizza Day, attended a She’s Got Game Basketball or Hockey Day, bought a ticket to the She’s Got Game Gala or donated directly to the initiative, you have been an essential part of supporting women student-athletes at U of G.
“We cannot overstate our gratitude to all of the donors who stepped forward to support this initiative,” says Director of Athletics Scott McRoberts. “That so many have stepped forward and helped us reach this milestone in six years is a powerful statement of support for our women’s programs and student-athletes.”
The University has also been a key supporter of this goal, with Dr. Charlotte Yates committing to providing $225,000 over three years to the initiative in 2018 when she was provost. This year current provost and vice-president (academic) Dr. Gwen Chapman is renewing a $50,000 contribution for each of the next five years, totalling $250,000.
“The hard work and generosity of so many has made this incredible achievement possible,” said Dr. Charlotte Yates, U of G president and vice-chancellor. “By investing in our Gryphons, we contribute to our goals of transforming university sport through equity and inclusion. Given our rich history of powerful women who have made a difference both on and off the field, we deeply appreciate the importance of this initiative.”
The next chapter of She’s Got Game
Although this goal has been met and great strides have been made, the She’s Got Game journey is not over. The Department of Athletics will continue to build on the solid foundation of the initiative from the last six years to attract the best and brightest student-athletes and foster gender equity on our campus and beyond.
If you’re interested in donating, please contact: Chris Moulton at cmoulton@uoguelph.ca or donate online at shesgotgame.ca.