The Purcell
Endure and Lead Challenge
The Purcell: Endure and Lead Challenge brings the University of North Georgia community together for a high-energy competition that puts endurance, teamwork and leadership to the test. Organized by Scabbard & Blade, the inaugural event will bring together teams from the Corps of Cadets, Nighthawk Athletics and Greek Life in a challenge designed to push participants while supporting the students who make up the UNG community.
As the first event of Boar’s Head Weekend, The Purcell is one you won’t want to miss. Join us Friday, September 18, 6am at the Nighthawk Resiliency Center (Formerly Radar Ridge) and start the weekend by spectating endurance and leadership in action.
“The Purcell is not named for how he suffered. It is named for how he endured, returned and led.”
-Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Joey D. Blacksher
Col. Ben Purcell, North Georgia Class of 1950, served in Korea and Vietnam and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war, including 58 months in solitary confinement. After returning home, he came back to North Georgia as Professor of Military Science and Commandant of Cadets, continuing his service to the university and the nation.
His story of resilience, service and leadership is at the heart of The Purcell and the students it supports. The challenge is more than a competition; it is an opportunity to honor his legacy by carrying those same values forward.
Funds raised through The Purcell will support Corps of Cadets and Institute of Peak Performance (IPP) initiatives focused on health, fitness, resilience, readiness and leader development, while also providing scholarship support for the three participating groups.
Your donation will help provide cadets and students with the resources, training, scholarships and opportunities they need to become stronger, more resilient and better prepared to lead.
Honor the Past. Endure Together. Lead Forward.
