Cecil Worsley III ’86 and his wife, Joanna ’87, have issued the Worsley Family Match to encourage former student-athlete giving.
With a three-year commitment of $150,000, the Worsleys will match any gift made to the Phoenix Club by a former student-athlete during the month of October. All gifts will benefit student-athlete scholarships and be matched 2:1.
“Many times when you get out of school, you get disconnected for awhile as you get your life moving,” Worsley said. “Then you have a chance to reflect and you realize how much the school really meant to you. I think it is so important to give back to the school that helped shape your life. Elon means so much to me. I love it there.”
With a desire to see the continued progress of Elon Athletics, the Worsley family will match student-athlete alumni gifts during the month of October. To participate, former student-athletes can make a donation to the Phoenix Club or to a specific Elon athletic program. Any donation of $50 or more will be matched 2:1 and also make the individual a Phoenix Club member for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Additionally, all former student-athletes who give during the Worsley Match will receive Phoenix Club priority points for the net gift.
A former member of the golf team, Worsley has been a strong supporter of Elon Athletics for many years. On September 4, 2009, Elon dedicated the W. Cecil Worsley III Golf Training Center on South Campus, which was funded through a generous gift from the Worsley family. The facility serves as the headquarters for both the men’s and women’s golf programs and includes an indoor practice area with hitting bays and a computerized swing analysis center as well as a putting area and players’ lounge.
The Worsleys are members of the Phoenix Club IMPACT Circle and the Founder’s Circle for Elon University and reside in Wilmington, N.C. The couple’s son, Cecil IV, is a junior at Elon.