ELLENSBURG, Wash – Each spring Central Washington University hosts their annual day of giving, #GiveCentral. This day brings together Wildcats to support areas all across CWU making it the largest crowdfunding opportunity of the year. Multiple departments across campus, including Athletics, submit a current need fundraising project and ask for the community's collective support reaching their goal. From raising money to cover students' conference travel costs to raising money to purchase new equipment, the philanthropic possibilities are endless.
#GiveCentral celebrates its 10-year anniversary on Thursday, April 23. Although this date is the official day of giving, community members are encouraged to visit the #GiveCentral website, discover the projects that speak to them the most, and donate to them at any time between today and 11:59 p.m. on April 23. In addition, the CWU Foundation will host a #GiveCentral event from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Student Union and Recreation Center (SURC) with complimentary food and drink while supplies last. All are welcome!
Director of Athletics Dennis Francois will be at the SURC from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on April 23 to support #GiveCentral and help promote the Athletic Department's Wildcat Pride Cart project.
"This year the Athletic Department's #GiveCentral project is to replace our Wildcat courtesy vehicle [6-passenger golf cart]," said Francois, "Our cart gets used for a variety of tasks, including touring recruits and their family on official campus visits; transporting donors, dignitaries, and other supporters in and around campus on game days and campus visits; hauling various equipment to and from practice and events; and transporting baseball and softball umpires to and from their locker room in Nicholson to their respective field before, between, and after games. On groomed fairways and golf cart paths I am sure it would have held up pretty good, but our cart has been used in many other ways and on uneven terrain over the last 10 years. Therefore, our goal is to raise $13,000 to replace our cart with one that will withstand our many uses and the terrain on our campus – one that will represent our department and university in a manner that evokes pride."
Because of generous challenge gifts, the CWU Department of Athletics is turning to the Wildcat community to help raise the final $5,000 of the $13,000 total from today, April 6, through 11:59 p.m. on April 23.
To give to the Wildcat Pride Cart project now, visit
https://give.cwu.edu/schools/CentralWashingtonUniversity/givecentral-2026/pages/Athletics/WildcatPrideCart
To explore other #GiveCentral projects, visit
https://give.cwu.edu/schools/CentralWashingtonUniversity/givecentral-2026
If you have any questions about the CWU Athletics project or your donation to it, please contact Serenity Steward at (509) 963-1479 or Serenity.Steward@cwu.edu.
Lastly, the Department of Athletics' marketing and communications teams want to make sure the Wildcat community is following CWU Athletics on Instagram, Facebook, or X. They don't want anyone to miss their fun, fast-paced #GiveCentral updates as we work towards our goal. Stay tuned for one of the posts that will include instructions to enter for a chance to win a secret prize.
