Ram Athletic Fund debuts BoostHER program

Noah Fleischman, Sports Editor

A new Ram Athletic Fund initiative will benefit VCU women’s athletic programs, a release from the athletics department stated on Thursday. 

The BoostHER initiative will focus on advancing women’s programs through student-athlete empowerment, fundraising, fan engagement and community service, the release said. 

“These athletes are working hard balancing sport and school and often don’t receive the same level of attention that their male counterparts do,” said Cindy Dulik, BoostHER co-chairwoman, in the release. “It provides a community to help these young athletes achieve their goals, both on and off their field of play.”

Dulik serves as a member of the Ram Athletic Fund Board, which collects gifts and donations to benefit VCU coaches, student-athletes and programs.

The initiative has six areas of focus: 

• Raise funds to support female sports programs and student-athletes
• Foster a community of support, empowerment and growth for VCU female student-athletes
• Provide resources to enhance VCU’s women’s sports programs, career programs and events
• Participate in professional and personal development of student-athletes
• Engage in the community with VCU women’s sports programs
• Provide opportunities to recognize the accomplishments of female student-athletes

“Our women’s sports teams have had tremendous success and these student-athletes deserve to be supported, recognized, and celebrated,” said committee co-chairwoman Sharon Darby in the statement.

Darby, the associate vice president of operations at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, serves as a member of the VCU Athletic Advisory Board.

VCU has eight women’s sports programs, including women’s basketball, volleyball and field hockey, with more than 150 female student-athletes.