Alumnus Oscar Ball III giving back one game at a time
4th Quarter during homecoming raises money for scholarships
Oscar Ball III, Winston-Salem State University Class of 2009, is the creator of the 4th Quarter Scholarship Fundraiser. The event is a basketball game between current WSSU students and alumni and is held on the Sunday after each homecoming at the C.E. Gaines Center.
To date, the 4th Quarter has raised $50,000 for student scholarships at WSSU over the past four years.
Ball, a native of Goldsboro, said as an alumnus he was inspired to give back after speaking with a former alumni director. “They taught me about the importance of the alumni giving percentage rate,” he said. A lot of times, major corporations and companies base their support on how well alumni give back to their alma mater.
“I have a love and passion for sports. I wanted to find a way that alumni and students could come together under one roof … so I created the 4th Quarter,” Ball said.
The event presents scholarships to students on the spot during the game and also supports student organizations.
Ball said WSSU has always felt like home since he first stepped onto the campus after having toured several other higher education institutions. “I knew from the moment that I walked around and talked to a couple of people that this was the place that I wanted to be. Winston stood out in a way that none other did.”
If WSSU is to be here 50 years from now, it’s important for alumni to become engaged, Ball said. “We’ve got to start being more involved. We see all the things that HBCUs go through. We need to take the bull by the horns and do things on our own,” he said.
Current students need to hear from alumni on how they made it and how they can get to the next level in their respective careers, he said.
WSSU, or any HBCU for that matter, “doesn’t just want your money, they want you to be able give back to the school with your time, your talent and your treasures,” he said.
To donate to the 4th Quarter, Scholarship Fundraiser, text The 4th Qtr to 71777.
