The athletic department raised more than $200,000 as part of this year’s annual Athletics Buff and Blue Fund Challenge – a downtick from its previous haul of $350,000 in 2021.

More than 1,100 donors – half of whom were alumni student-athletes – participated in the challenge, according to a release issued Tuesday. Gymnastics raised the most money in the fundraiser, and baseball boasted the most donors of any program.

Water polo maintained the highest alumni-athlete giving percentage, a category in which volleyball was the most improved from last year. Last year, baseball and water polo earned the most funding of any athletic program, receiving $7,000 each through the challenge.

“I am so inspired by the results of this year’s Challenge, especially the big jump in alumni-athlete giving,” GW Athletics Director Tanya Vogel said in the release. “It’s a tremendous example of what teamwork can accomplish and gives me great hope for the future of all of our athletic programs. I am so grateful for everyone who gave to GW Athletics.”

The release states GW Athletics will distribute “additional funding” from alumna Annemargaret Connolly – a member of the department’s Advisory Council – and her husband Ken Frank across its programs. 

“Ken and I are thrilled about the success we had in this year’s Buff & Blue Fund Challenge, especially the large number of gifts we received from our alumni,” Connolly said in the press release. “I was honored to be a part of engaging our Athletics Community and to see the amazing results we were able to achieve together. Raise High!”