Night with Cougar Athletics
How Custom Merchandise Helps Elevate CAF's Signature Fundraising Events
For the past few years, College Hill has proudly partnered with the Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF) to support its signature fundraising series—Night with Cougar Athletics. These high-impact events in Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Seattle bring WSU coaches, former athletes, and loyal Cougs together to raise critical dollars for student-athlete scholarships through the Unleash Excellence Fund.
In 2024 alone, this series raised an impressive $850,000, thanks to the dedication of CAF and the generosity of its supporters. College Hill is honored to play a small but meaningful role in the event’s continued success.
The Project
Designing the Experience
CAF events require more than a venue and a crowd, they thrive on connection, experience, and thoughtful presentation. The client needed merchandise that would create a memorable and elevated experience for all guests and spark engagement and drive bidding during auctions. Along with showing appreciation to top-tier donors through VIP gifts.
The challenge was to balance Cougar spirit with sophistication and showcase standout merchandise year after year that supporters would love and remember.
Curating with Purpose
Each year, we approached the event with fresh eyes and strategic intent, curating a thoughtful product suite that functioned both as practical event tools and meaningful donor touchpoints. Custom-branded wine glasses were given to all attendees, quickly becoming a signature takeaway that set the tone for a premium experience. For the auction, we developed unique WSU-themed centerpiece items that sparked friendly competition during the evening’s icebreaker and helped raise thousands. To recognize top-tier supporters, we crafted exclusive VIP gifts that blended Cougar pride with elevated quality building lasting goodwill and reinforcing the value of their contributions.
The Results
Branded pieces elevated the guest experience by setting a polished tone and generating excitement for both returning and first-time attendees. Strategic product design played a key role in auction engagement, helping centerpiece items stand out as highly sought-after contributions that directly supported fundraising goals. VIP gifts served as a meaningful gesture of thanks, reinforcing CAF’s commitment to donor recognition and long-term retention. Together, these thoughtful details helped create an unforgettable experience and contributed to raising over $850,000 in support of WSU student-athletes.
This is Just the Beginning
Be Part of the Next Chapter
While the Cougar Athletic Fund has already made an incredible impact, there’s still more to do. Every dollar raised helps create opportunities for WSU student-athletes to thrive on the field, in the classroom, and beyond. Your support directly contributes to the Unleash Excellence Fund, helping provide experiences, resources, and scholarships that shape the future of Cougar Athletics. Every gift, big or small, truly makes a difference in the lives of these athletes. At College Hill, we’re honored to support this mission and invite you to join us. When Cougs come together, we don’t just show up, we make it count. We are committed to using branded merchandise as a force for good, amplifying important causes, uniting communities, and inspiring real change.
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