BERKELEY - Held on Tuesday. Feb. 5, the annual Scholarship Banquet brought a night of gratitude as the Cal Athletics Fund celebrated the generosity of its scholarship donors and their student-athlete recipients. Conversation flowed as student-athlete scholarship recipients mingled with the donors, Cal administration, and coaches during the hour leading up to dinner and programming.
 
Following a lively reception, Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton took the stage to emphasize the importance of leadership, tradition and teamwork. In thanking the donors for their transformational support, Knowlton also acknowledged, "the achievements of our student-athletes and the donors who make their accomplishments possible."
 
Each year, the Cal Athletics Fund recognizes this important group of donors that has impacted generations of Golden Bears through philanthropic support. The banquet provides an opportunity for the student-athletes to foster a connection with the families that provide funding for their scholarships, creating lasting relationships that will benefit both the student-athlete and the donor for years to come.

"This has always been one of my favorite Cal events to attend because it unites donors and athletes," said Carolyn Palmer, a Cal women's soccer alumna and speaker for the evening. Carolyn and her husband established the Richard and Carolyn Palmer Scholarship Fund in 2010 to provide undergraduate scholarships for men's and women's soccer, football and softball. "When you're in a position to make a donation, find a way to do so."
 
Through the generosity of these scholarship donors, the Cal Athletics Fund was able to offer over $13 million in scholarship funding to 177 student-athletes in the 2018-19 academic year. The financial support these donors provide accounts for a substantial percentage of the costs of the student-athletes' daily necessities - big and small, academic and sports-based, down to the graduation tassel they proudly display during commencement.
 
In the final speech of the evening, sophomore Camryn Rogers, a track & field student-athlete, thanked her scholarship donor, Bruce Kennedy, for "changing her entire life." Rogers, originally from Richmond, British Columbia, holds the school record for the hammer throw and won gold at the 2018 Under-20 World Championship in Finland.
 
"I am forever grateful for the future you have opened up for me," said Rogers. "And I will continue to show you my appreciation every day, constantly committing myself to the hard work I put into my sport and studies. Your impact is always present. It is because of you I can say that today is the first day of the rest of my life as a Golden Bear."
 
For more information about the Cal Athletics Fund scholarships, please contact the Cal Athletics Fund at (510) 642–2427 or visit CalAthleticsFund.com.