A two-day scholarship fundraiser for University of Missouri-bound students from southwest Missouri will receive a boost from the University Chancellor, Dr. Alexander N. Cartwright.
The chancellor since August 2017, Dr. Cartwright was announced Tuesday as a special guest for the Tiger Ball presented by Meyer Farms & Meyer Communications. It is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 3 at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.
The Greater Ozarks Chapter of the MU Alumni Association is hosting the events, which also include the MU Alumni Golf Classic presented by Great Southern Bank. It is set for Friday, May 4 at Millwood Golf & Racquet Club.
{Check out the flyer of events & pricing}
In recent years, the events have raised $150,000 toward scholarships, which is why the Greater Ozarks chapter is inviting the public to attend and help support the cause.
“For a number of students, it means the difference between pursuing a college degree or starting in the work force,” said Andy Stewart, President of the Greater Ozarks Chapter.
The events feature:
- Tiger Ball tables of eight for $300. Individual tickets are $40.
- Silent and live auctions with mobile bidding at the Tiger Ball – please visit bidpal.net/mutigerball – as well as a buffet dinner, beverages and a live band.
- Foursomes in the golf tournament for $750. The morning round starts at 8 a.m., while the afternoon round begins at 1 p.m.
- Golfers receive: a Mizzou-logoed golf vest, continental breakfast and lunch as well as on-course beverages and snacks. Trophies will be awarded in several divisions.
- Sponsorship packages are available as well. A Tiger sponsorship includes a table of eight at the Tiger Ball, a team in the golf tournament and recognition as a hole sponsor at tee and green.
To sign up, call 417-889-3100.
Dr. Cartwright’s presence should be a great way for alums to interact with the highest-ranking official in the MU system. He came to the University of Missouri from the State University of New York (SUNY), where he served as provost and executive vice chancellor from September 2014 to July 2017.
While Cartwright is a Bahamas native, he has lived in the U.S. since age 17, when he moved to Iowa with his family and earned a GED, soon to begin his adult years working at a factory. While there, he attended a nearby community college and has since climbed the ladder in higher education since. Fortunately, he understood the Mizzou’s challenges since well before he became chancellor. That’s why he is eager to visit all parts of the state.
“If we’re going to change the narrative of people feeling whatever they feel about higher education … they need to get to know us better,” Cartwright told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently. “We don’t want to be an ivory tower. We’re not an ivory tower, and we need to be engaged in the community. That’s our goal.”
With his assistance, the Greater Ozarks chapter is anticipating that it will add to its endowment fund.
“Our goal was to apply $25,000 towards our endowment in five years,” Stewart said. “We completed our goal in just over two years and now have more than $60,000 in our endowment fund. And we are not done funding it. We want it to continue to grow.”
