Students must have their IDs scanned at the game to be eligible. For every home win, three $500 scholarships will be awarded. At the last home games, a larger scholarship will be given to a student who has attended
at least five games. 
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Destiny Bazemore received something she never expected when she attended the Winthrop University men's
basketball Homecoming game in November: a $500 scholarship.
Winthrop has introduced the new Game Changers scholarship program, a unique promotion
developed earlier this semester by President Dan Mahony, that focuses on increasing student attendance at home men's and women's basketball
games.
Bazemore, a family and consumer science major from Rock Hill, said receiving the Game
Changers scholarship at the Nov. 14 game was a terrific surprise, and a great way
to get students more involved.
"I think this program is really reaching out to the students and showing them how
important they are at the games and to this university," she said. "It felt really
rewarding. You normally hear about athletes getting scholarships to play the sport
but now, we as students get a chance to win scholarship money by coming and just supporting
the basketball team."
Here's how it works: students have their Winthrop IDs scanned when they attend men's and women's home basketball games at the Coliseum. They must sit in the assigned sections for the games. For men's games, that is sections
110, 114 or 115. For women's, it is section 108.
After each Winthrop victory, students can check the scoreboard to see if they are
the scholarship winners. For every win there will be $2,000 split four ways. There
will be three winners after each victory and all three will receive $500 toward tuition.
Students must be present to win. The other $500 will go into a season-end fund. Students
who attend either five women's and/or five men's games during the season will be eligible
for a final drawing at the last home games for each team and could walk away with
half of the total to assist with tuition.
"The Game Changers scholarship program is a win-win proposition," said Mahony. "Our
talented basketball players receive the support and encouragement they need on the
court, and our students can earn money to put toward their tuition and, ultimately,
their future. I can't think of a better investment than one that directly benefits
our students."
Mahony also thanked the "game-changing" donors who have made this program possible.
"We can't say enough about how thankful we are for our generous and passionate donors,"
he said. "Without their support, this opportunity for our students would not be possible."
Interested in becoming a Game Changer donor? Contact Kimberly Faust at faustk@winthrop.edu or 803/323-2225.
