Lloyd Family Contributes To Forward Together Campaign
OXFORD, Miss. – The UMAA Foundation is pleased to announce that Ole Miss has become the beneficiary of a $1 million gift made by the Lloyd Family – Cosmo, Bob, Ben and Ted – of Jackson, Miss.
“We are so grateful to the Lloyds for their exemplary commitment to Ole Miss Athletics and the Forward Together campaign,” said Keith Carter, UMAA Foundation Executive Director. “Their leadership and commitment to the success of our athletics department is paramount to our pursuit of excellence on and off the playing field. We hope that the generosity displayed by the Lloyds will resonate with our donor base and that other members of Rebel Nation will answer the call as well.”
This $1 million gift will be in support of the Forward Together campaign and its initiatives. As a result of this gift, Ole Miss will honor the Lloyds with a new tradition in the form of a bell tower. The bell tower will be a part of the north end zone expansion of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and will serve as a call to everyone in the Grove and around campus to head into the stadium for the start of the game. It will also be sounded after Ole Miss victories.
The bell tower will be made unique to the charm of Ole Miss and will serve as a strong symbol of unity for the school beyond the scope of athletics. The athletics department looks forward to continuing discussions on how to utilize this new tradition in dynamic and unique ways.
“We were encouraged by the ‘can do’ attitude of Ross Bjork, the hiring of Coach Hugh Freeze and the future of athletics at Ole Miss,” said Bob Lloyd. “This is a time that true fans should step up and do what they can do to get our programs back on their feet. We know there are brighter times ahead and wanted to help our University have the funds to compete with other schools in the SEC.”
The gift makes the Lloyds the first members to join the Builders Circle. The Builders Circle is a small group of philanthropic supporters who, through their leadership, will play a crucial role in the success of the Forward Together campaign. This exclusive group of no more than 20 members will serve as an essential component of philanthropic funding for the proposed facility construction and enhancements.
The Lloyds’ commitment helps move the Forward Together campaign closer to its $150 million goal, putting the current total at $65.3 million raised so far. Rebel supporters have demonstrated overwhelming support for the largest and most comprehensive fundraising campaign in the history of Ole Miss Athletics.
“The impact of this generous gift by the Lloyd family cannot be understated,” said Ole Miss Athletics Director Ross Bjork. “The Lloyds commitment to Ole Miss Athletics is instrumental in helping us achieve our goals, and we cannot thank them enough. They are giving all they can to Ole Miss Athletics, which is what we are asking Rebel Nation to do – give what you are capable of giving to support our student-athletes. The Lloyd family answered this call in a big way and gives Forward Together a boost as we approach the end of the summer.”
For more information, please visit www.forwardtogetherrebels.com or call the UMAA Foundation at (662) 915-7159. For details on the Vaught Society or Naming Rights opportunities, please ask to speak with a member of our major gifts staff.
Follow the Build for up-to-date fundraising progress.