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Named in honor of the matriarch of UC Davis women's athletics, a relatively new fundraising campaign has already made its presence felt.

With renovations at Schaal Aquatics Center and the rebuild of softball's La Rue Field as early feathers in its Aggie cap, the Marya Welch Initiative is providing additional financial support for the university's burgeoning women's programs.

Of the 25 athletic programs at the university, 16 are women's sports. With the 35,000 campus enrollment 60 percent in favor of females, it has been a priority for UC Davis officials to stay in fair balance of opportunity for all student-athletes.

Also, staying in compliance with Title IX directives has been difficult at some schools, but Liz Martin, Assistant Athletics Director, Leadership Giving & Alumni Engagement, is proud that her university works 24/7 for an even playing field.

The Welch Initiative, she says, is another way that UC Davis will ensure equality.

"What we've found is a lot of our individual women's teams just don't have the kind of backing that some our men's programs do in terms of alumni and fans supporters," Martin explains. "So when you're trying to do a massive project like the softball field renovation, it's really hard to get (the financial support) from just softball alumni or the fans."

Creating a group where "all women could support each other and make a bigger impact would be the way to go," she continues.

The stated mission is to "raise awareness and financial support for women's athletics by recruiting and retaining Marya Welch Initiative support group members, increasing visibility for UC Davis ... women's sports, raising special-project funds and increasing participation at women's contests."

Before the Welch Initiative was created, UC Davis already had in hand a matching-funds contribution for women's projects from an anonymous donor. Martin says instead of allocating those funds only to softball, "we'd create this broader avenue that would be an ongoing thing into the future.

"(The Welch Initiative) was our way of saying 'Let's all come together ... and, hopefully, every year we'll make an impact on a different program.' "

As an aside, the university is setting an April date to ceremonial dedicate the DeYoung Family Scoreboard (thanks to contributions from former Aggie softball coach Kathy DeYoung and Joy Fergoda) and the Kamisher-Weber Dugout (by way of grants from Robyn Kamisher-Gordon, Jason Gordon and Gena and Geoff Littleton).

The initiative, which was launched two years ago, honors Marya Welch, the woman who wore many, many hats during her years at UC Davis.

A physical education instructor, coach and dean of women who founded women's sports on campus in the 1950s, Welch's far-reaching contributions included an $800,000 gift. The Marya Welch Tennis Center and a central courtyard at The Colleges (off La Rue Road) bear her name.

Welch died in 2012 at the age of 95.

To ensure success for the Welch Initiative, UC Davis Director of Athletics  Kevin Blue and Martin have brought together a who's who of current and former Aggies.

Pam Gill-Fisher, a former senior associate athletic director, and Darlene Hunter, senior director of undergraduate admissions, have joined with folks like alumnae Aimee Hasson (a basketball star) and Sharon Rose, benefactors Diane Makley and Nancy Roe, De Young and softballer Heather Hunter (Class of 1996) to help get the word out in the initiative's second year.

"I was always around athletics at UC Davis," remembers Rose, who became friends with Welch. "I would check on Marya, seeing what she needed, picking her up from meetings. I remember one night at dinner at our house ... she told us all about being stationed in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor. She was a captain in the Navy, on the Berkeley rifle team. 

"Spend just one night with her and you could learn a lot. She was a neat lady.

"So when Pam called me to be involved after UC Davis set this up — especially in Marya's name — I thought what a wonderful idea," Rose adds.

While Sharon (Class of 1960) and her husband Elliott (a former UC Davis faculty member) have been regular contributors to the university over the years, it is the Welch Initiative that has provided renewed excitement about Davis athletics.

"I realize that women's sports is a big deal … and needed a special avenue of support that it might not otherwise have been getting," Rose says.

"When you play for a team, you're a part of the university, more than just your major. You get to meet other people that have the same interests as you do. You learn responsibility, budget your time, work with others."

Makley, who along with her late husband Paul, a partner in Tandem Properties, has also been a longtime UC Davis athletics benefactor. She says it was easy for her to volunteer her help.

"Usually you get solicited for everything in this town," Makley explains with a chuckle. "This, I just kind of heard about. I had been lucky to have grown up with sports, watching them and playing them."

Involved in softball, basketball, ice skating and roller skating, Makley says she was fortunate to have been brought up through St. Louis-area Catholic grade schools that had organized sports for girls.

"I'm always surprised when I talk with some of my contemporary women how they didn't seem to have this exposure," says the Saint Louis University graduate.

"I've always felt for myself and others that sports are such a great outlet for anxiety, emotional release, to build teamwork — and all the things we're used to saying about sports."

Makley says she studied the Welch Initiative before committing:

"I reflected on why an offshoot of regular outside support to Aggie athletics needed a separate avenue.

"I reflected on that, because women's athletics gets a lot of support, of course: with Title IX, the general attitude of the university and the sharing of that (mainstream fundraising).

"But I didn't see the Welch Initiative as a separate program. I didn't see it as 'OK, I can donate to Team Aggie or the general athletic programs or this.' "

But after one Welch group meeting, the longtime community contributor says she was sold on the concept.

Martin says the Welch Initiative volunteers will be meeting again this spring and that outreach for involvement and donations continue. To learn more or to provide a gift, visit give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041.

— Author Bruce Gallaudet writes the weekly "Inside Aggie Nation" for UC Davis Athletics and also pens "Aggie Corner" every weekend in The Davis Enterprise. Reach longtime area sportswriter Gallaudet at 530-320-4456 or bgallaudet41@gmail.com