Belles and Whistles

Blazer Women's Athletic Society Aims to Support Female Student Athletes

According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, 80 percent of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies are former athletes, and female student-athletes are more successful in school and are more likely to graduate than non-athletes. Statistics like these are fueling the mission of the newly formed Blazer Women’s Athletic Society.

The group met at a luncheon on September 11, 2008, at the Birmingham Country Club. Emceed by Lenora Pate, the luncheon featured talks from UAB Athletic Director Brian Mackin and Blazer Women’s Athletic Society co-chairs Sandy Logan and Sally Mackin. Vickie Orr Wiley, a 1992 Olympic bronze medalist and 1990 World Championship gold medalist in basketball, and Kristine Berndt, who is conference championship programs manager of the Pacific-10 Conference and was a member of the UAB softball team from 2001 to 2006, also spoke at the event.

The Blazer Women’s Athletic Society will host networking and character-building events; raise money for scholarships and facilities; develop relationships and serve as positive role models; and work to increase attendance at women’s sporting events. Corporate sponsors include Barnes & Noble, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Snoozy’s Bookstore, Sterne Agee, the UAB National Alumni Society, and VIVA Health. Other sponsors include Gretchen Cloud; Mildred Hamner, Lois Luther, and Marie O’Koren; Marsha Hire; Phyllis Klock; and many others.