Our Beaver Nation Starts New Program To Benefit Women’s Athletics

Oregon State is fortunate to have several elite women's athletic programs including our reigning three time Pac-12 champion basketball team, our national finalist gymnastics squad, a softball team that recently upset top ten UCLA, and countless others across 10 women’s athletic programs. Let’s face it though, women’s sports often don’t get as much recognition and respect that they deserve, and are often overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. It was announced Monday that Our Beaver Nation, Oregon State’s athletic fundraising program, is taking another step in trying to change that with the Women Leading OSU fundraising arm.

The newest fundraising arm of Our Beaver Nation is aimed at raising money solely for the 10 women’s athletic programs across campus, as well as initiatives to help women student-athletes reach their goals outside of sports. Oregon State joins other schools across the Pac-12 who have giving programs focused for women’s athletics as Oregon, USC, Arizona State, and Washington have previously implemented similar programs according to Our Beaver Nation’s Assistant Director for Athletic Annual Giving Skylar Erhardt. “This program will act as a catalyst for more robust programming that impacts the experience of our female student-athletes.” Erhardt said.

According to Erhardt donations to Women Leading OSU will help subsidize the Women LEAD professional development initiative, which is a part of Everyday Champions programming within the athletic department. The rest of the donations will be utilized based on input from members of the Ingram Council which will be made up of contributors to the program of $1,000 or more annually. Along with a chance to part of the Ingram Council, the program offers many other benefits to those who donate which can be found on the Women Leading OSU webpage.

This program along with the leadership Oregon State has in place, and the hundreds of female student-athletes on campus will help the Beavers take the next step in success both on and off the playing field.

I would like to thank Skylar Erhardt for taking the time to answer some of my questions and provide additional information. If you have any questions or would like to make a donation to Women Leading OSU you can contact Skylar at 541-737-3361 or via email at skylar.erhardt@osufoundation.org, or visit the Women Leading OSU webpage.