Jim Ward Family Invests $100,000 In ECU Athletics And Pirate Club
October 11, 2023 | General
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Longtime Pirate Club members Jim and Katie Ward have invested $100,000 into the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence, Pirate Club Executive Director Ryan Robinson announced Wednesday. The funds will be designated to the men's golf program.
Â
Jim is a graduate of ECU and played on the men's golf team during his time there. Mr. Ward is a successful real estate investor and developer as President and CEO of Ward Holdings, LLC.
Â
"Katie and I are committed to ECU Athletics, the Pirate Club and our great university," Jim Ward said. "It is important we invest in the long-term future of ECU Athletics to ensure we have the facilities and resources necessary to compete at the highest level. As a former student-athlete, I have so much respect for the dedication and commitment of these young men and women who each made the decision to attend ECU and learn the skills necessary to make an impact as a future leader."
Â
The generosity of the Ward family has impacted thousands of Pirate student-athletes over their 40 years of being Pirate Club members. The family has participated in numerous capital campaigns for the Pirate Club including the Circle of Excellence, Dowdy-Ficklen Renovation, Clark-LeClair Stadium and participated in the Keith LeClair endowment.
Â
"We are deeply grateful for the commitment of Jim and Katie Ward to ECU Athletics and the Pirates Unite Campaign," ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. "The Ward family have been involved with the Pirates for a long time and we are fortunate to have their partnership. As an alumnus and former student-athlete, Jim understands the commitment of our student-athletes to being successful on and off the field."
Â
"Pirates Unite: The Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence," is a bold, $60 million fundraising campaign that was initiated to create an opportunity for donors to partner and invest with ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club. More than $24 million has been raised in the first 16 months of the campaign. This campaign will provide critical funds, essential training spaces that will transform the experiences of our student-athletes and make an impact on all our programs' ability to succeed.
Â
For more information about the campaign, please visit ecupirateclub.com or call (252) 737-4540.
Â
Â
Jim is a graduate of ECU and played on the men's golf team during his time there. Mr. Ward is a successful real estate investor and developer as President and CEO of Ward Holdings, LLC.
Â
"Katie and I are committed to ECU Athletics, the Pirate Club and our great university," Jim Ward said. "It is important we invest in the long-term future of ECU Athletics to ensure we have the facilities and resources necessary to compete at the highest level. As a former student-athlete, I have so much respect for the dedication and commitment of these young men and women who each made the decision to attend ECU and learn the skills necessary to make an impact as a future leader."
Â
The generosity of the Ward family has impacted thousands of Pirate student-athletes over their 40 years of being Pirate Club members. The family has participated in numerous capital campaigns for the Pirate Club including the Circle of Excellence, Dowdy-Ficklen Renovation, Clark-LeClair Stadium and participated in the Keith LeClair endowment.
Â
"We are deeply grateful for the commitment of Jim and Katie Ward to ECU Athletics and the Pirates Unite Campaign," ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. "The Ward family have been involved with the Pirates for a long time and we are fortunate to have their partnership. As an alumnus and former student-athlete, Jim understands the commitment of our student-athletes to being successful on and off the field."
Â
"Pirates Unite: The Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence," is a bold, $60 million fundraising campaign that was initiated to create an opportunity for donors to partner and invest with ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club. More than $24 million has been raised in the first 16 months of the campaign. This campaign will provide critical funds, essential training spaces that will transform the experiences of our student-athletes and make an impact on all our programs' ability to succeed.
Â
For more information about the campaign, please visit ecupirateclub.com or call (252) 737-4540.
Â
09/08/25 Blake Harrell Monday Presser
Monday, September 08
East Carolina Post-Game Interviews (Sept. 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
ECU Baseball Breaks Ground for the Dick and Sarah Bennett Baseball Building.
Friday, September 05
9/02/25 Inside Pirate Athletics
Tuesday, September 02
