Lord Botetourt Auction Breaks Fundraising Record

The College of William & Mary’s Athletics Department fundraising arm, the Tribe Club, raised more than $400,000 during its premier auction event of the year, the Lord Botetourt Affair, held recently in the Alan B. Miller Gymnasium at the William & Mary Recreation Center.

The auction celebrated its 25th anniversary in style, as the total amount raised ($401,688) was more than double the previous record of $175,000 set in 2012.

“This was truly a special night for the W&M Athletics family,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development, Bobby Dwyer M.Ed. ’94, the longtime director of the Tribe Club. “Our volunteer chairs, Barbara Ramsey ’75 and Nancy Mathews ’76, did an incredible job of making it an evening to remember. They wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event in style and worked exceptionally hard to engage our community. The results speak for themselves. We raised a fantastic amount toward supporting our mission of providing William & Mary student-athletes with the necessary funding to have the best possible experience during their athletic careers.”

As has become a tradition with the event, guests were encouraged to enjoy the evening in black-tie attire and sneakers. More than 100 items were donated as part of the live and silent auctions, while nearly $220,000 was raised in separate sponsorships, including 20 Silver Star sponsors at $10,000 a piece.

In all, over 350 guests participated in the fun, assisted by than 40 student volunteers who did everything from providing shuttle service to giving personal assistance to individual bidders. Including this year, the Lord Botetourt event has now been a complete sellout for more than a decade.

All proceeds from the Botetourt Affair go directly to the Tribe Club. Since the W&M Athletics Department receives no state funding, the Tribe depends on its many alumni, friends and corporate partners to provide student-athletes with a first-class athletics experience.