GREENWOOD - Lander Athletics raised a record $256,312.12 during its annual Hour-A-Thon campaign, surpassing last year's total by nearly $50,000 and continuing the Bearcats' growth in the annual giving initiative.

The 2026 campaign began Aug. 31 and concluded Sept. 9, generating more than 3,000 gifts from 2,898 unique donors. The average gift was $83.56, with all proceeds supporting the student-athlete experience.

Lander Athletics raised $147,847 in 2023, $135,947 in 2024 and $197,198 in 2025, which ranked as the most raised by any institution in the country that year.

"First and foremost, a massive thank you to the entire Bearcat Nation for making this year's Hour-A-Thon fundraiser such an incredible success," said Director of Athletics Brian Reese. "The generosity and support of our donors over the last several years have made Hour-A-Thon a very valuable revenue generator for Lander Athletics and have made a significant contribution to both our individual teams and the athletic department as a whole. These gifts will have a tremendous impact on our continued success academically and athletically. I also want to thank our coaches, student-athletes and staff for their commitment and dedication to making this fundraiser a success. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who played a role in another record-breaking Hour-A-Thon."

"Congratulations to our Lander student-athletes on an incredible fundraising effort with this year's Hour-A-Thon," said Taylor L. Cook, Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director of The Lander Foundation. "Your dedication, teamwork and commitment to giving back are a wonderful reflection of the Bearcat spirit. We are equally grateful to the generous donors and supporters who made this achievement possible. Thank you for investing in our student-athletes and helping make this yet another record-setting success for Lander Athletics."

"The success of the Hour-A-Thon could not have been done without the support and generosity of our Bearcat donors," said Van Taylor, Director of Development and Bearcat Club.

Funds raised will support student-athletes throughout the 2026-27 academic year, including equipment, meals and travel.

Adam Weyer, Lander's Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs, also expressed his appreciation for the Bearcat community's support.

"The outpouring of generosity by the Bearcat Family was unbelievable. Seeing all the support that our student-athletes received from friends, family, alumni and others who have supported them during their journey as Bearcats was amazing. Lander Athletics is in a great place and it's because of the dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. I can't say thank you enough to all who donated and showed your support for our student-athletes and Bearcat Athletics."

"We are looking forward to another amazing year watching our student-athletes excel on the fields of play and in the classroom. Thank you to the Hour-A-Thon team for their guidance and support during this fundraising campaign. Please continue your support of our great student-athletes by showing up at their athletic contests. Hope to see you at one of our events soon. Go Bearcats!"

From the Coaches

Nick Popp, Head Baseball Coach:
"On behalf of the baseball program, we'd like to thank Hour-A-Thon for making this fundraiser a success. They make it simple and easy for the athletes. In my experience doing Hour-A-Thon, we've had nothing but tremendous success in a short amount of time."

Bob Dachille, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach:
"We are extremely grateful for the incredible support we received during the Hour-A-Thon campaign. We are so appreciative for a record-breaking number of donors who contributed to our all-time best Hour-A-Thon campaign. We are excited because these donations will greatly benefit our student-athletes throughout the course of the 2026-27 season with improvements to equipment, meals and travel. Thank you so much to all of our supporters and we look forward to a successful 2027 season. Go Bearcats!"

The record total provides additional resources for Lander's student-athletes as they pursue success in competition and in the classroom throughout the 2026-27 season.

Message from Lander Student-Athletes