Legendary San Diego State basketball coaches Steve Fisher and Brian Dutcher are teaming up with philanthropists Dale and Julie Yahnke to raise $32,000 for No. 32 in honor of the one and only Bill Walton.
And together, they are challenging basketball fans and friends of Bill everywhere to match their $32,000 commitment and double their impact to raise a total of $64,000.
The Challenge: “Give $32k for No. 32.”
The first to step up to the matching challenge is Colorado Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tad Boyle and his wife Ann with an $8,000 gift.
Additionally, Lucky Duck Foundation co-founders Pat and Stephanie Kilkenny are matching all donations up to $320,000 through December 31, 2026. That means every donation to this challenge is TRIPLED thanks to the generosity of the head coaches and Kilkennys.
Dutcher and Fisher are joining head coaches Mick Cronin (UCLA), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Matt Painter (Purdue) and Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), who each donated $8,000—a combined $32,000 in honor of Bill’s iconic No. 32—as part of the Hall of Fame Series honoring Walton, played November 2 in Las Vegas.
Together, these six coaches are honoring Bill by rallying the basketball community to create opportunities for young people in Bill’s honor.
Funds raised will support the Bill Walton Foundation and causes Bill cared about deeply, such as youth homelessness, innovation, and more.
– Brian Dutcher
San Diego State Men’s Basketball Head Coach
“Bill Walton was a dear friend and deeply instrumental in helping us establish the program at San Diego State. Chris Walton was literally our first recruit, and Bill and Lori worked tirelessly to help us build the program. His enthusiasm for life was infectious, and his commitment to helping others was extraordinary. I’m proud to join Brian Dutcher and Dale and Julie Yahnke in raising $32,000 in honor of Bill’s iconic No. 32, and I’m grateful for their generosity and friendship. Now, we’re calling on basketball fans and friends of Bill everywhere to match that commitment and help us raise another $32,000 for No. 32.”
– Steve Fisher
Former San Diego State Men’s Basketball
Head Coach
“Bill had a remarkable ability to bring people together, and we’re honored to match Coach Fisher’s and Coach Dutcher’s and their wives’ generosity to help carry his legacy forward. Together, we’re putting $32,000 on the board for No. 32, and now we’re asking the community to join us and raise another $32,000 in Bill’s honor.”
– Dale Yahnke
“We don’t have anyone who is a bellwether for humanity more than Bill Walton. He wrote checks and checks and checks. His time was invaluable, but Lori and him brought the checkbook, too. Nobody does that. If the expectation to be at an event was 30 minutes, he would stay an hour and a half to make sure he was able to talk to everyone.”
– Pat Kilkenny
Every $1 donated is tripled, thanks to the coaches, the Yahnkes and the Kilkennys. Help raise $32,000 for No. 32 to help carry Bill’s light forward by helping others discover their own.
Bill was an ardent supporter of both the Lucky Duck Foundation and San Diego Sport Innovators.
The mission of the Lucky Duck Foundation is to prevent and alleviate the suffering of homelessness throughout San Diego County, and its co-founders match all donations up to $2 million per year.
The mission of San Diego Sport Innovators is to establish San Diego (and Southern California) as the core of the healthy living, sports and active lifestyle community. Through supporting companies at all stages, we help make our city and our residents, and ultimately our nation, a healthier, happier place to be.
Both the Lucky Duck Foundation and SDSI are providing their existing infrastructure and staff to help launch and operate the Bill Walton Foundation.
