Laramie, Wyo. (Oct. 1, 2020) --  The Mick and Susie McMurry Family was recognized on Wednesday, Sept. 30 by the University of Wyoming at the "The World Needs More Cowboys" event in Casper, Wyo., for the family's most recent gifts to the UW Athletics "WHYoming NOW" campaign.  The McMurry family donated a total of $750,000 to the campaign.
 
University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman expressed his gratitude to Susie McMurry and her family on behalf of the UW Athletics Department and its student-athletes and coaches. 
 
"We want to thank Susie and the McMurry family for their incredible generosity and commitment in providing support for our young men and women," said Burman.  "It is amazing the impact that the McMurry family has had on UW Athletics and the University of Wyoming as a whole over the past several years.  We can't thank Susie, Mick and the entire McMurry family enough for their kindness and philanthropy in supporting our program.
 
"With the current economic challenges we face due to COVID-19 and the downturn in the energy industry, Susie and the McMurry family wanted to prevent as much hardship as possible to our students-athletes and assist our student-athletes in their academic, athletic and leadership pursuits.  Susie feels strongly about the importance of mental health programming, as well as providing resources to enhance the physical health of our young men and women.  That motivated her to make this commitment during this difficult time."
 
The McMurrys originally made a $500,000 gift that will provide funds for scholarships, nutritional needs and medical care for Cowboy and Cowgirl student-athletes.  An additional $250,000 gift was recently added by the McMurry family.  That gift will be applied to the athletics department "Excellence at 7220 Program", which provides programming to student-athletes to help develop leadership skills, address physical and mental health wellness and teach life skills to UW student-athletes.  A portion of the second gift will also go to the sports nutrition program that benefits all intercollegiate sports at the University of Wyoming.      
 
Many of the services provided to the Cowboy and Cowgirl student-athletes are housed in the University of Wyoming's Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center (HAPC) that opened in August of 2018.  The HAPC is one of the preeminent athletic facilities in the country.
 
The McMurry gifts increased the total amount raised by the "WHYoming NOW" campaign to over $1.3 million.
 
"The World Needs More Cowboys" event in Casper was hosted by the University of Wyoming and is part of an ongoing series of community celebrations by the University of Wyoming to reach out to prospective students and their families, alumni and community members around the state of Wyoming.