NCWC News: Head UNC Football Coach John Bunting To Be Guest Speaker At North Carolina Wesleyan College Athletics Gala On January 20

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January 18, 2005

Head UNC Football Coach John Bunting To Be Guest Speaker
At North Carolina Wesleyan College Athletics Gala On January 20

Rocky Mount, N.C.—John Bunting, head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will be the keynote speaker at North Carolina Wesleyan College’s second annual Athletics Gala on Thursday, January 20, at the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts. The fundraising event will benefit all of the College’s athletics programs and also will officially launch the new North Carolina Wesleyan College Athletic Association (NCWCAA), to be popularly known as The Battling Bishops Club (BBC).

Festivities will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. in the Mims Gallery followed by dinner at 7 p.m. in the Garner Lobby.

Several members of the UNC football coaching staff will accompany Bunting, who has led the Tar Heels since 2000 as Carolina’s 32nd head football coach. Bunting himself was an All-ACC linebacker for Carolina during his playing career from 1969-71. He returned to Carolina as head coach after an outstanding career with the Philadelphia Eagles and a coaching career that included positions as a head coach in NCAA Division III and an NFL assistant in Kansas City, St. Louis, and New Orleans. After more than two years in the highly competitive Division I-A football, Bunting now faces the many challenges of running Carolina’s program.

The Athletics Gala will include a silent and live auction conducted by Wooten "Dog" Lamm. Auction items will include such unusual things as an opportunity to participate in a special pro-am pool event in February with one of the top four women players in the United States: Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, Jeanette Lee, and Monica Webb; a die cast car signed by Tony Stewart; golf and dinner for four at Benvenue Country Club; baseballs autographed by Tony Perez and Andre Dawson; jewelry courtesy of Bailey’s; custom crafted rifles; Carolina Panthers paraphernalia; a Heisman Pro autographed football; a UNC football signed by the team, and memorabilia from UNC, N.C. State, Wake Forest, ECU, and Wesleyan, plus vacation packages and household items.

Last January’s Athletics Gala raised over $65,000 to help fund the startup of Wesleyan’s NCAA Division III football program, which fielded a winning team last fall. John Thompson, Wesleyan’s athletics director and head men’s basketball coach, said funds from this year’s gala will benefit all 13 of Wesleyan’s varsity sports, including two new sports for women—cross-country and lacrosse—that will field teams next fall.

"Wesleyan is very grateful for the tremendous community support we received last year," Thompson said. "Last year’s gala focused on football, because starting that new program required considerable funds and attention. The emphasis of this year’s Athletics Gala, however, is on support for all of our varsity sports. We want to increase the visibility of all our sports, athletes, and coaches. Our athletic department is one that the college and community should be very proud of."

The gala is sponsored by Roger G. Taylor & Associates—AXA Advisors and by Sodexho Campus Services, an international food service provider. Tickets are $150 for individual seats, $600 for a half-table of four seats, and $1,200 for a full table for eight. Tickets can be purchased through Wesleyan’s Office of Development at 252-985-5262.

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