BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Athletics established the Women's Legacy Fund, a new fund within the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation (HAF) to benefit all eight of WKU's female sport programs, as well as cheer and dance, the department announced on Friday.
"On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we are very excited to launch our Women's Legacy Fund through the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation," said Director of Athletics Todd Stewart. "This initiative will help us to appropriately celebrate the tremendous success of our women's sport programs over the previous 49 years, which includes 98 team conference championships, 174 individual conference titles and 101 All-American honors. These teams have maintained consistent excellence for decades, and the Women's Legacy Fund will enhance our eight female sport programs, along with our cheer and dance programs, for generations to come while directly impacting their ability to raise the bar of success even higher."
For the next six months, WKU Athletics will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX with the actual anniversary being June 23, 2022. Throughout the campaign, WKU will be spotlighting the various achievements women have made in athletics after President Dero Downing approved intercollegiate athletic competition for females on January 29, 1973.
In addition to 98 team conference championships, 174 individual titles and 101 All-American honors, WKU Cheer has won two national titles while WKU Dance has won one. WKU Athletics has produced seven female Olympians, including 2012 London gold medalist Claire Donahue (Swimming) and 2020 Tokyo bronze medalist Larissa Franklin (Softball).
WKU has amassed nearly 50 years of tradition and excellence within its female sport programs. The Women's Legacy Fund was designed to build on the success that females have established on The Hill while fulfilling needs and desires of the various sport programs.
More information on the history of women within WKU Athletics can be found here.
The Women's Legacy Fund was created to celebrate the Title IX anniversary, but will live on within HAF for years to come with the intent of impacting multiple generations of WKU female student-athletes.
Donations to the fund can be made via check to the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation with the memo "Women's Legacy Fund" or online here.
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