The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II is honoring the West Virginia University Foundation for its efforts to assist the Mountaineer Marching Band.

The Foundations Pride Travel Fund received a prestigious silver award in the Best Practices in Educational Fundraising category. The fund was set up to defer the high cost of travel for the 370-member band.

We thank the more than 700 donors who have contributed $93,000 to this ongoing fund,said D. Lyn Dotson, vice president for development at the WVU Foundation.

The donations enabled the band to travel to more than just one away football game this past fall. Trips included the Friends of Coal Bowl against Marshall and the Syracuse game. A smaller pep band also was able to attend the game at Cincinnati.

The CASE Awards will be presented during the Awards Gala event at the CASE District II Conference in January.

Last year, the Foundations Band Aid Drive, which raised more than $440,000 for new uniforms and instruments for the WVU band, won a CASE District II gold award.

CASE District II is headquartered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In addition to West Virginia, District II consists of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Ontario.

The WVU Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of WVU .