The Ferrum College softball team will soon notice some changes to their facility after the College successfully completed its “Batting a 1.000” campaign for a new softball complex, named after Hall of Fame softball coach Vickie Van Kleeck. 

The College raised over $330,000 from 119 donors for the new complex, far exceeding its original goal of $100,000 by June 30, 2022.

The Vickie Van Kleeck Softball Complex will include new club-level seating, construction of a press box, locker rooms, and other amenities to improve the gameday experience for the players and fans. 

“It was a pleasure to work with so many friends and alumni on this campaign. The success of this fundraising effort will allow Ferrum College to build the best softball stadium in the ODAC and one of the best in all of Division III,” stated Director of Development, Bart Smith. “I’m excited for our softball program and all of the athletes now and in the future that will have a chance to play in this great stadium.”

Van Kleeck was Ferrum’s softball coach for 24 seasons before retiring in 2015. During her tenure at Ferrum, Van Kleeck won 531 games, including three regular season USA South Athletic Conference championships (1994, 1995, 2013). She led Ferrum to USA South Softball Tournament titles in 2002, 2005 and 2012, earning NCAA Division III playoffs appearances all three years. She coached 140 Academic All-Conference Players, 23 All-State players, and received the 2013 USA South Coach of the Year Award. She was inducted into Ferrum College’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. 

“I couldn’t be more thankful for the many donors who helped make our Batting a 1.000 campaign a success. In doing so, this allows us to move forward with the Vickie Van Kleeck Softball Complex,” stated Director of Athletics John Sutyak.  “This was a true team effort to get us to our goal, which included our alumni, parents, staff, faculty, friends and a number of our current Ferrum softball student-athletes contributing to the campaign. The future is bright for Ferrum College softball.” 

Ferrum College President David Johns spoke about what this new facility represents, stating “Athletics has always been an important part of the Ferrum College experience, and our softball program has enjoyed tremendous success over the years, on and off the field. We are delighted to honor Coach VVK and our softball players, past and present, with this new facility.” 

With the successful completion of the campaign, the College hopes to unveil the Vickie Van Kleeck Softball Complex in 2023.

Ferrum College raised over $3.1 million this fiscal year, surpassing last year’s total by more than $500,000 and the total raised in 2020 by more than $1.1 Million. Over $835,000 was raised for scholarships and another $600,000 was awarded through grants to provide academic and financial support to the College’s students.  

1,170 donors contributed to this year’s fundraising success, including 178 members of the Arthur Society. Named after the college’s seventh President, Reverend Dr. C. Ralph Arthur, the Arthur Society provides special recognition to alumni, parents, and friends who make annual gifts of at least $1,000 to the College over the fiscal year. Read more about Ferrum’s giving societies here.

This year, Ferrum College held its annual giving day on October 12, 2021 and participated in #GivingTuesday on November 30, 2021. The two events raised more than $250,000 from 384 donors, including $203,116 for the College’s Ferrum Fund, an unrestricted fund that covers scholarships, academic programming, and student research opportunities at the College. 

The College also continued its trend in athletics fundraising with the successful completion of the “Batting a 1.000” campaign.” The “Batting a 1.000” campaign sought to raise funds for capital improvements to the softball facility including a press box, a team locker room, improved seating, and other amenities that will make Ferrum College’s softball facility one of the premiere stadiums in the Old Dominion Athletics Conference. With an initial goal of $100,000, the College raised over $330,000 from 119 donors. The new softball facility will be named after Hall of Fame softball coach Vickie Van Kleeck. Van Kleeck was Ferrum’s softball coach for 24 seasons, as well as the College’s Senior Woman Administrator, before retiring in 2015.  

Ferrum College President David Johns expressed pride and gratitude for this year’s success, stating “I am proud of the work we are doing at Ferrum College to prepare students for good work and meaningful lives, and I am grateful to our many friends for helping to make this possible.” 

“This year’s success affirms our commitment to providing a great experience for our students,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement and External Relations Wilson Paine ‘07. “I am thankful to our alumni and supporters who recognize the important role Ferrum College plays for our students, our community, and our region. We have set a high bar for ourselves over the past few years, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.”

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Photo credit: Stephen “West” Nuttycombe, Jr. ’19