Maryland Athletics announces seven-figure donation in honor of Chris Cason

Ahmed Ghafir
39 minutes ago
2 min read

Maryland Athletics has announced a one million dollar commitment through the Christopher A. Cason Memorial Endowed Scholarship to support student athletes.

Cason was a University of Maryland graduate who received his bachelors in criminal justice in 2015 and his Master’s degree in cybersecurity technology in 2019 before tragically passing away due to leukemia. An avid fan of Maryland athletics, the seven-figure commitment in his memory serves as a fitting way to remember a great man.

"Chris loved the University of Maryland, and our family shared in his Maryland Pride," Alan and Kim said. "Establishing the Christopher A. Cason Endowed Scholarship Fund in his memory is our way of giving back to a place that gave him so much happiness and purpose. It means everything to us to know that Chris's name will live on by helping Maryland student-athletes pursue their education and dreams for years to come."

His parents, also Maryland alums, have remained involved with the University of Maryland and athletics for three decades with a chance to now give back to the university.

"We are honored that Alan and Kim chose to celebrate their son's life and legacy in the form of an athletics scholarship," said Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics via release. "Their support is crucial in our mission of developing young individuals for success beyond competition, creating moments that unite our community and building lifelong connections across generations."

Via UMTerps:

The Casons established the Christopher A. Cason Memorial Endowed Scholarship in memory of their beloved son in January 2023. The fund provides merit-based scholarships for undergraduate football student-athletes in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS). Chris received his B.A. in Criminal Justice from BSOS in 2015 and his Master's degree in Cybersecurity Technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2019. Chris unexpectedly passed away at the age of 29 in September 2021 as a result of a previously undiagnosed acute leukemia after a four-day hospital stay. At the time of his death, Chris was a cybersecurity specialist for the Internal Revenue Service.

Related Links