By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

The Lord Botetourt Auction will celebrate its 33^rd year by returning to an in-person format next month. And for the first time, the black-tie-and-sneaker event will cap a busy weekend schedule.

The "All In" weekend will promote the campaign, celebrate William & Mary's athletes, support the department and recognize newly hired athletics director Brian Mann. It will be held from Feb. 18-20, which is Presidents' Day but not Charter Day weekend.

Click here to register for the All In Weekend events.

After going remote last year because of COVID-19, the auction will be in-person at Hunter Hall in the newly expanded Alumni House on Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $250.

"We're really looking forward to it," said Barbara Ramsey '75, a member of the executive committee. "The committee is excited to bring the event back on campus and to such a spectacular space.  Additionally, we're pleased that the silent and live auctions will be in adjacent areas making it easy for guests to socialize and to bid!"

Auction donations include some past staples, such as dinner with President Katherine A. Rowe, travel destinations, tickets to sporting events and golf outings. Bobby Dwyer will again serve as host. Anyone interested in supporting the auction with an item donation or by becoming a patron should contact Peter Travis, Director of  Special Events, at pttravis@wm.edu. 

In addition to being a premier social occasion, the auction is the Tribe's biggest athletic fundraisers of the year. Despite the pandemic and remote setting last year, the event raised $340,000. That was second only to a haul of $401,688 in 2014, which was the 25^th anniversary.

There will be multiple home athletic events over the weekend. A kickoff reception hosted by Mann will be held in the Person Room at Kaplan Arena prior to the women's basketball game against Northeastern on Friday, the 18th. There will be a tailgating party in the Compton parking lot leading up to the men's basketball game Saturday afternoon vs. Delaware.  

Men's and women's tennis and lacrosse will have home matches on Friday and Saturday; the complete schedule for all competitions can be accessed at www.tribeathletics.com/calendar

Also on the schedule is the Millie West "Celebration of Life" at the Sadler Center on Sunday morning. West, a true pioneer who worked in W&M's athletics department for more than six decades, died in February 2020. A ceremony originally set for two months later was postponed when the pandemic hit.

Registration for all events will begin Jan. 14 at 9 a.m. at www.tribeauction.com. Tickets for the auction will be $250, and a sellout is expected. 

"In addition to raising funds for Athletics, we want to provide supporters the opportunity to view different aspects of Tribe Athletics and to spend time together." Ramsey said. "We're able to do this with competitions, receptions and reconnections on all three days of the Presidents' Day holiday weekend."