UNCW delights donors with “Dancing with the Stars” event

The University of North Carolina Wilmington used a unique fundraising event to raise money for student-athletes through its “Dancing with the Wilmington Stars: Seahawk Style” banquet. The event raised $110,000 for the Seahawk Club, the development arm for UNCW Athletics. The contest Wilmington-area celebrities paired together and included a champion based on a judge vote and a fan vote. The fan vote was conducted based on people in attendance and an online poll. UNCW charged $10 per vote, with all funds benefiting Seahawk student-athletes.

The Dancing with the Stars event was the first of its kind at UNCW and the results exceeded department expectation despite bad weather the night of the event. The concept ties together the extremely popular television show with UNCW athletics in a banquet-type format. Participants danced to popular music from different decades and delighted 450 attendees of the event.

This kind of event is a great way to involve donors in a fun environment outside of the stadium or arena. It provides a new fundraising event strategy from the more common auction used at many schools. It rides the popularity of the television show “Dancing with the Stars,” which is popular amongst older demographics. Other events similar to this could have similar success around shows like “Dancing with the Stars” or “American Idol.” These events might also gain support if they involve student-athletes.

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Sean Phifer