Ducks? Football Coaches to Give Back
EUGENE – Oregon football coach Mark Helfrich is leading an effort to generate a half-million dollars in new donations for PathwayOregon students -- the state’s brightest students who choose to attend the University of Oregon and might not otherwise be able to afford college.
Through the Football Coaches Challenge the Ducks’ football coaching staff has pledged personal donations up to $250,000 in matching funds towards the University’s PathwayOregon program received in time for the football team’s May 2 Spring Game.
The annual intrasquad scrimmage open to the public in Autzen Stadium serves as a culmination for the team’s spring workouts in preparation for next fall’s football season.
PathwayOregon provides full tuition, fees, and advising support for more than 1,700 low-income Oregonians through a combination of federal, state and institutional funds. Sixty-three percent of Pathway students will be the first in their families to earn college degrees. Pathway enrollment grew by more than 33 percent last year through a $923,000 increase in program funding. The Football Coaches Challenge will further expand the opportunities to more qualified Oregon high school graduates.
For further information regarding donations to the Football Coaches PathwayOregon Challenge, go to http://pathway.goducks.com or call 541-302-0300.
PathwayOregon has been lauded as a national model for funding and supporting low-income student success. To be eligible, students must:
- qualify for the Federal Pell Grant
- graduate from Oregon high schools within two years of UO enrollment
- be admitted to the University as first-time freshmen
- earn a 3.40 high school grade-point average
“Our coaching staff is very excited to join two powerful forces – the passion of our great fans and educational opportunities for Oregonians in need,” Helfrich said. “We benefit every day from the support of the people of Oregon. With a donation to PathwayOregon now, and our match, we all get together for a fantastic cause.”
Helfrich is beginning his third season as the Ducks’ head football coach. A native Oregonian, he graduated from Marshfield High School in Coos Bay in 1992. In addition, offensive line coach Steve Greatwood graduated from Eugene’s Churchill High School before earning his undergraduate degree from Oregon.
The Ducks open the 2015 football season Sept. 5 at home vs. Eastern Washington.
