Catawba College

SALISBURY — Jan. 10 marked the first time in Catawba College Chiefs Club history that membership in the athletics booster organization crossed the 500-member mark. The 500th paid member was Mark Stout, president of Stout Heating and Air of Salisbury and a Rowan County native, who has been a longtime supporter of Catawba athletics.

There were only 300 paid members who joined the organization in 2016-2017, according to Jeff Childress, Catawba’s associate athletic director for athletic development and director of the Catawba Chiefs Club.

Childress said early January was a perfect time “to announce our Catawba 500.”

“I am very thankful that I have the Chiefs Club board to work with, thankful for D.C. Clement, our Chiefs Club president for this year, and for Bill Graham ’83, chairman of our college Board of Trustees, who had the idea to challenge us and also was willing to help us get our membership up to 500 members – a group effort for everyone to be very proud of.”

The Chiefs Club is sponsoring the upcoming First Pitch Dinner, a major fundraiser for the Catawba Baseball team, on Jan. 27 and tickets are available for purchase on the Catawba athletics website at gocatawbaindians.com or by phone at 704-637-4474.

The Chiefs Club 2017-2018 drive for members began in this past summer and got a boost after five former Catawba quarterbacks joined the organization in the fall. Membership efforts have continued since that time with Chiefs Club board members helping solicit new members.

Chiefs Club memberships directly offset the rising cost of higher education and athletic opportunities for Catawba’s student-athletes. The purpose of the Chiefs Club is to provide financial support for athletic grants-in-aid for Catawba’s student athletes, to promote the welfare of the college through the athletic program, and to foster the ideals of good sportsmanship and good scholarship. Catawba currently offers 83 full athletic scholarships and 20 varsity sports for men and women involving over 400 students as players, cheerleaders, coaching assistants, team manager and student trainers.

For questions about Chiefs Club and joining, please contact Jeff Childress at 704-637-4265 or jchildre@catawba.edu, or visit www.catawba.edu/chiefsclub.