The University of Central Arkansas Foundation recently received a $100,000 gift from Paul and Mary Cantrell of Little Rock that will benefit the football program.
The Cantrells established the Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund for Athletics with their gift. This endowment will provide much-needed private scholarships for 91³Ô¹ÏÍø football players. The establishment of the fund also creates an avenue for alumni and friends to provide support at any level to student-athletes who participate in the football program.91³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletic Director Dr. Brad Teague expressed great appreciation for the Cantrells’ support of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø athletics.
“Paul and Mary Cantrell are true Bear fans,” he said. “They have made a strong commitment to 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s success. We are excited about what this significant gift means for our football program and our athletics department. I know Paul and Mary hope this encourages other supporters to step forward and make a difference forever through an endowed gift for scholarships.”
91³Ô¹ÏÍø recently completed its final year of transition to NCAA Division I athletics. The university is a member of the Southland Conference, which includes teams from Texas and Louisiana.
“As an alumnus of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, I believe in supporting my school, pure and simple,” Paul Cantrell said. “Since graduating, I’ve tried to be loyal in supporting both academics and athletics at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø. I have made a number of contributions to academics in recent years and I wanted to direct this gift toward athletics. I talked to the athletic director about how a gift would most impact the program and we decided that establishing a football scholarship fund would be most appropriate. I’m so happy to be supporting this program because I love 91³Ô¹ÏÍø.”
Cantrell is a 1975 accounting graduate of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø and is employed by Harbor Distributing Company in Little Rock. He and his wife, Mary, are long-time supporters and fans of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø and have given annually to both athletics and academics.
President Allen Meadors said, “We are so grateful to the Cantrells for their dedication to both the academic and athletic programs at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø. Private support from our loyal alumni and friends is critical to the future of this university.”
To find out more about how to make a private contribution to 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, please contact the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Foundation at 501-450-5288 or email kcarroll@uca.edu. – Jennifer Boyett
