A record $1 million for spartan athletics was raised at the Spartan Foundation's 16th Annual Complete Champions Reception.
Held on Nov. 22, the event featured guest speakers Lucas VanBerkel, who is an alum of TWU’s men’s volleyball program, and Holly (Strom) VanBerkel, who is an alum of TWU’s women’s basketball program.
Trinity Western men's rugby star Matthew Willemse, who hails from South Africa, also spke.
Jeff Gamache, TWU Director of Athletics, called it a special day.
“To have Holly, Lucas and Matthew all share about their experiences at TWU and see how God has used during them in their journeys was inspiring," Gamache said.
"On top of it all, to raise this record amount, where every penny will go into investing into our current student-athletes, is an incredible gift that we, within Spartan Athletics, are so thankful for."
Hosted annually by the Spartan Foundation over 16 years, the Complete Champions Reception has raised more than $6.7 million for student-athletes.
“We are thrilled and deeply grateful for how the Spartan community came together to share life-changing stories, support one another and achieve an incredible milestone – raising over $1 million,” said Steve Scholz, Executive Director of the Spartan Foundation.
Complete Champions Reception through the years
Year | Guest Speaker – Amount Raised
2009 | Rick Hansen – $24,000
2010 | Ryan Walter – $45,000
2011 | Peter Legge – $62,000
2012 | Martin Rennie – $107,000
2013 | Jim Zorn – $121,000
2014 | Anthony Calvillo – $145,000
2015 | Willie Desjardins – $235,000
2016 | Olympian Panel – $340,000
2017 | Neal McDonough – $425,000
2018 | Dr. Murray Howe – $507,000
2019 | John Scott – $542,000
2020 | Shane Doan & Leighann (Doan) Reimer – $562,000
2021 | Eroni Clarke – $862,000
2022 | Sue Semrau – $857,000
2023 | Rick Hansen & Alison Jackson – $853,000
