Chancellor’s Society event celebrates donors, campus wellness

Khloe Daniels saw the 27-foot climbing wall at the Eakin Student Recreation Center (ESRC) and lined up to take her turn. Just tall enough to pass the height restriction, the five-year-old donned a harness and climbed toward the roof.

“Did you see me? I went all the way to the top,” Daniels said, pointing toward the wall where ESCR staff were helping other guests attempt to climb. She excitedly shared the news with everyone she met at East Carolina University’s Chancellor’s Society Celebration June 29 at the center. Daniels attended the event with her grandparents, Sherry and Jim Westmoreland.

East Carolina Univeristy alum Nick Steward and his children, Hudson and Kendall, play a game of giant Jenga during the Chancellor’s Society event at the Eakin Student Recreation Center. (ECU photos by George Crocker)

The celebration, the first since 2018, was a family-inclusive event planned to highlight campus priorities, such as student success and well-being, which are funded by donor gifts. The Chancellor’s Society recognizes donors who have supported academics at a cumulative $1,000 or more during the fiscal year. It is the cornerstone of annual giving to ECU.

Daniels coaxed the Westmorelands toward a 360-degree photo station and other activities, regaling them with tales of her wall ascent. Westmoreland said it was the first opportunity to bring Daniels and his wife, Sherry, to a Chancellor’s Society program. Westmoreland said Daniels continues to share the news of her adventures at the recreation center.

In addition to the climbing wall, guests had access to table tennis, cornhole, pickleball and the facility’s pool. The family-oriented focus included food tempting to young and more seasoned tastes with build-your-own taco and grilled cheese stations, an oyster bar and a DIY dessert station.

“A main pillar of our mission at the university is student success, and we all know student health and well-being is a critical part of that success. That’s why it’s fitting that we’re here in this wonderful facility, named for former Chancellor Eakin, to celebrate the members of the Chancellor’s Society,” said Christopher Dyba, vice chancellor for university advancement. “It’s an opportunity for us to simply say thank you.”

Holding the celebration in the ESRC provided an opportunity to showcase campus recreation and wellness (CRW) and its impact in the ECU community. For LaNika Wright, associate vice chancellor of health and well-being, a major point of pride is that more than 4,000 people per day are served in indoor and outdoor activities through CRW.

“Campus recreation serves as a way to stimulate belonging and well-being for all of our ECU community,” Wright said. “The recreation center is not only about fun, though fun is essential in lifelong learning. It promotes physical and mental health by focusing on social, physical, emotional, financial and community wellness.”

LaNika Wright, associate vice chancellor of health and well-being, visits with guests before speaking at the Chancellor’s Society event at the Eakin Student Recreation Center.

An additional point of pride for Wright is being one of the largest employers of students on campus. In addition to student staff, CRW has graduate assistants, most of whom receive permanent jobs before they complete their assistantships.

The ESRC has operated on main campus for 27 years. It offers 150,000 square feet to serve the wellness needs of students, faculty and staff. Athletic Business magazine selected the center as a facility of merit. A recreation center in the Health Sciences Campus Student Center and facilities at the North Recreational Complex round out CRW.

ECU is able to serve the students and campus community through Campus Recreation and Wellness in part because of donors who help ensure the well-being of the university. Chancellor Philip Rogers celebrated the critical roll donors have played in supporting university needs.

“You do so much to contribute to the life of East Carolina University and to help advance our mission in meaningful ways,” Rogers said. “We could not be where we are today without you and the momentum you have helped generate. Thank you for all that you do.”

During the past two years, ECU has raised more than $180 million as part of the public phase of the Pursue Gold campaign. Rogers said the university has been able to make progress toward many of its goals, from growing scholarship programs and the formation of ECU Health, to creating significant growth in sponsored research.

“My charge to all of you is to keep your foot on the gas. We’re not done yet. We have so much more to accomplish,” Rogers said. “We have a ton of work left to do that will be built around our new and refreshed strategic plan — with the goal of ensuring ECU is focused on a cutting-edge future driven by innovation.”

ECU is in the public phase of the Pursue Gold campaign to raise half a billion dollars. This ambitious effort will create new paths to success for Pirates on campus, across the country and around the world. Donor gifts during the campaign will keep us constantly leading and ready to advance what’s possible. Learn more at pursuegold.ecu.edu.