March 16, 2011
The UMAA Foundation announced that the Vaught Society has surpassed the $10 million mark in major gift fundraising for Ole Miss Athletics. In addition, plans for a new football team meeting room have been finalized. "We are thrilled to surpass the $10 million mark, and very excited to begin construction on the new team meeting room." said Danny White, UMAA Foundation Executive Director. "Our donors have really stepped up, and we are extremely grateful for their support."
Among the many facility initiatives of the Vaught Society, the new team meeting room for the Ole Miss football program is an extremely critical component in improving a first-class facility. Because the Indoor Practice Facility (IPF) gives the Rebel football team a central location for pre-practice and post-practice routines as well as daily positional meetings, the addition of a state-of-the art team meeting room only adds to the "wow factor" of the beautiful Ole Miss campus.
Quick Facts:
- Estimated cost of $2.2 to $2.5 million
- 5440 square feet
- 158 plush seating capacity
- Large "video board" style screen
- State-of-the-art electronics/sound system
- Close proximity to indoor practice field, weight room, coaches' offices and team locker room.
"The new team meeting room will be a great addition to what is already a wonderful facility," White said. "It will provide our team a centralized meeting space, and I know Coach Nutt and the rest of his staff are very excited about this."
Using architectural designs by Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons, construction of the new team meeting room is planned to begin in late 2011, and be completed by the start of the 2012 football season. It will be connected to the north end of the IPF, cutting into the courtyard south of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The Vaught Society was launched at the 2010 Cotton Bowl, and in just 14 months has made steady progress toward its initial goal of $12.5 million. Revenue generated from the Vaught Society go toward the state-of-the-art athletics facilities recently constructed, as well as the continued effort to enhance these facilities.
About Danny White:
The UMAA Foundation added success, experience and a familiar face with the addition of Danny White as Executive Director in August 2009. In addition to his role as Executive Director, White is a Senior Associate Athletics Director for Ole Miss Athletics.
Since White's return, several new initiatives have been rolled out. Most notably, White restructured the Vaught Society, which encompasses major gift commitments of $5,000 or more annually. White also launched the 5-Star Fund, an annual philanthropic program of gifts under $5,000. At the close of the 2010 fiscal year, the UMAA Foundation achieved its highest ever amount received. The record breaking year of $17.1 million exceeded the previous high by more than $1 million.
White returned to Ole Miss from Fresno State, where he held the position of Associate Athletics Director for Development from 2007-09. He coordinated all aspects of the Bulldog Foundation including annual giving and season tickets, but primarily focused on major gift fundraising. He spent the 2006-07 season as the Assistant Athletics Director for Development at Northern Illinois University where he managed the Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund.
