WEATHERFORD – The SWOSU Athletic Association is pleased to announce that the 20th Annual SWOSU Athletic Auction & Benefit Dinner held August 8 in the Pioneer Event Center saw donors, boosters, and sponsors contribute over $189,000 in support of the university's student-athlete scholarships and athletic recruiting.

More than 300 guests visited the SWOSU Hilltop and enjoyed a cocktail hour, a seated dinner, an exclusive super silent auction, and an exciting live auction.
    
SWOSU alumnus Corky Heard of United Country Heard Auction & Real Estate facilitated the live auction. Hailey Tucker, a record-setting SWOSU basketball alumna and 2024 SWOSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, served as emcee for the auction.
    
SWOSU alumni, emeriti, and friends generously donated hundreds of auction items for the fundraiser. Some of these items were auctioned before the August 8 event via an online auction. The online auction has gained popularity in recent years, allowing donors, regardless of location, to bid and support SWOSU athletes. This year's online auction featured 162 items and packages. The auction attracted 164 bidders from 6 states.

The Super Silent Auction allowed attendees to shop and bid on items during the cocktail hour before the Live Auction. More than 30 items were in the Super Silent auction, and the Live Auction featured 11 different donated packages and premium experiences.

"This year's 20th SWOSU Athletic Auction & Benefit Dinner saw our wonderful community of alumni and friends contribute almost $190,000 for the benefit of SWOSU's student-athletes," said SWOSU Foundation, Inc. Executive Director Dr. Garrett King. "This invaluable generosity exceeded our target for the event by over 45% and we could not be more grateful or appreciative to all who made that success possible."

Longtime SWOSU benefactor and partner ASAP Energy, Inc. generously served as Underwriting Sponsor for the event.
    
Ben E. Keith Company, Jett Distributing Company, The Cottage, Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, O'Hara & Adams, and Clinton Textile Corporation contributed invaluable Hospitality Sponsorships for the event.
    
Wright Media and United Country Heard Auction were the event's Presenting Sponsors and delivered outstanding promotional and operational support.
    
"The SWOSU Athletic Auction is a direct reflection of the generosity and support that define the community surrounding our university," said SWOSU President Dr. Joel Kendall. "We are sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of this event. This kind of commitment is instrumental for the success of our athletic programs."

Table Sponsors for the 2026 Athletic Auction included:

• ASAP Energy, Inc.
• BancFirst
• Bank of Western Oklahoma
• Ben E. Keith
• Blue Sky Bank
• Dusty's Total Audio
• F.C. (Jumbo) Eaton
• F&M Bank
• Flex-Chem
• Great Plains Bank of Weatherford
• Helios Injection Systems
• Jett Distributing
• Joe D. Hall General Contractors, LLC.
• Kelley Jewelers
• The Litsch Family
• The Loomis Family
• Lucky Star Casino
• MA+ Architecture
• Magill Insurance & Real Estate
• The Marquis Family
• Mercy Health
• Mike Muncy & Johnny Beech
• M. Wright Services, LLC.
• NAPA - Western Oklahoma Auto & Truck Parts, Inc.
• Dr. Rafe Alvarez & Dr. Colby Brewster
• Sue Cornell
• SWOSU Foundation, Inc.
• United Country Heard Auction & Real Estate
• Valerie Fariss - New Cordell Service Oklahoma
• Weatherford Chamber of Commerce
• Weatherford Regional Hospital
• Wright Media

SWOSU Pioneer Event Center Director and alumnus Nate Downs and his team worked with SWOSU alumnus Kyle Burrows and his team at Burrows Pro Audio Visual to produce a spectacular show.
    
SWOSU Food Services Director and alumna Radonna Sawatzky and Jamie Thomas and her catering team served the evening's delicious meal.
    
The SWOSU Athletic Association is a subsidiary of the SWOSU Foundation, Inc. The Foundation was established in 1977 to promote philanthropy and distribute funds to support SWOSU's activities and programs. For information on how to support SWOSU's student-athletes and athletic programs through charitable giving, please contact the SWOSU Foundation, Inc., at 580-774-3267 or visit www.GivetoSWOSUAthletics.com.