Worcester State students raised a record $51,000 over two days at this year’s Chandler’s Challenge, the university’s annual bracket style fundraising competition. Women’s athletics teams dominated in the Athletics bracket, with first place going to Women’s Ice Hockey, which just finished its inaugural season at Worcester State and won the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance Championship.
The Dance Team won first place in the Campus bracket of Chandler’s Challenge.
In the Campus bracket, first place went to the Dance Team, while the Office of Multicultural Affairs raised the most dollars in its first-ever participation in the challenge.
In all, more than $28,000 was raised for athletics and $22,000 for campus and student organizations. More than 1100 donors – including family, friends, staff and alumni – donated to Chandler’s Challenge this year. There were several matching donations this year as well: $500 to Thea’s Pantry from Dr. Lisa Wark and her husband Stephen, $500 to the Class of 1970 Scholarship from Hugh Donahue, and a donation for the power hour by Tom Cieszynski ’07 in honor of his grandfather.
Every dollar raised goes directly to the athletic teams, student clubs and campus organizations.
“It’s great to see that the Worcester state pride showed up in a huge way in supporting our Chandlers Challenge,” said President Barry Maloney at the April 7 awards ceremony. “These dollars are critical, 100 percent of dollars raised go to supporting our students. Job well done!”
Here are this year’s winners:
Athletics Bracket
- 1st Place – Women’s Ice Hockey
- 2nd Place – Volleyball
- Most Alumni Donors – tie between Field Hockey Team & Softball Team
- Most Dollars Raised – Women’s Ice Hockey
- Power Hour 1 – Softball Team
- Tom Cieszynski (’07) Power Hour – Women’s Lacrosse
- Power Hour 3 – Women’s Lacrosse
- Power Hour 4 – Field Hockey Team
Campus Bracket
- 1st Place – Dance Team
- 2nd Place – Cheerleading Team
- Most Alumni Donors – WSU Chorale
- Most Dollars Raised – Office of Multicultural Affairs
- Power Hour 1 – Cheerleading Team
- Tom Cieszynski (’07) Power Hour – Dance Team
- Power Hour 3 – Dance Team
- Power Hour 4 – Dance Team