All the details on the inaugural Trailblazer Champions Gala
Ava Henderson, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Robbie Gawrys
North Greenville University is holding its first Trailblazer Champions Gala on March 9, 2026. It will be held at the Judson Mill in Greenville at 6 p.m., and will feature guest speakers, giveaways and fellowship.
This gala is a fundraising event dedicated to supporting the 20 NCAA DII athletic teams at NGU. There will be a silent and live auction giving away a signed Mike Tyson boxing glove, a Taylor Swift autographed guitar and several vacation packages. All the money will go towards the athletic teams, athletes and coaches.
There will also be multiple guest speakers at the event. These include Will Lowrey, the athletic director, Landon Powell, the head baseball coach, Nate Garner, the head football coach and some players. They will be speaking on their testimonies, athletic careers and how faith has impacted their lives as athletes.
Garner said, “This event will showcase how coaches and athletes at North Greenville incorporate faith and the kingdom into their lives as athletes.”
He also hopes their stories motivate others to act the same way.
Even without putting money in the auctions, one can still support the Trailblazers just by showing up. To attend, one must either purchase a table or an individual ticket. A table includes six seats and a possibility to be seated with an NGU athlete or coach. Attendees are also encouraged to support the athletes by joining the Trailblazer Club.
Lowrey said, “We recommend people go to help support their student athletes and teams.” He said championships are won when everyone supports one another. “Those that attend may win some pretty cool items and get great food, which is an added bonus.”
This gala is a milestone for NGU athletics as they hope to hold them yearly. The university is trying to make itself known as a national standard for how Christian universities should compete for national championships. They want to highlight that it is important to be competitive while also being servants for the kingdom on and off the field.
“Faith is a major part of our mission here at NGU,” Lowrey said. “We want to make it clear that our athletes should do everything for the glory of God.”
NGU hopes to make this an annual event. They want to raise money to help lead the athletic teams to championships for years to come while also growing the kingdom of God in everything they do.
