If you happened to attend one of the 17 regular season home games this year for the Oregon men’s basketball team, chances are you’ve been hit by a crumpled bingo card at halftime.
You can thank Oregon’s Daisy Ducks – bingo sponsors – for that.
Who are the Daisy Ducks?
“The Daisy Ducks is a women’s booster organization where we support the University of Oregon and the athletes,” Vice President Barbara Unck said. “Our main purpose is to raise funds for scholarships for all student-athletes.”
The primary source of fundraising is the popular halftime bingo at men’s home basketball games. The cards are sold for $1 and the winner receives up to $650. This year Bi-Mart donated the cards and a $100 gift certificate for the fundraiser.
The money raised by the Daisy Ducks is then donated to an endowed scholarship with the Duck Athletic Fund and awarded to various deserving student-athletes, according to Marjean Yates, the group’s president. The organization routinely donates $10,000 to the Duck Athletic Fund but raised $20,000 this year.
The organization began in 1972 and is the only one of its kind in the nation. Its membership currently comprises nearly 180 women and a few men, most of whom have had former friends or family members involved in Oregon Athletics. Others are simply fans.
Yates joined the organization in 1989 as a fan and became president in July after serving as the vice-president the previous year. She leads the Daisy Ducks’ weekly lunch meetings Tuesday in Mallard Hall, where the group invites coaches and student-athletes to speak about their experiences. She also represents the organization at many of the sports’ banquets.
“I enjoy just meeting the athletes and getting to know some of them just as a person and a student rather than just an athlete,” Yates said.
Each of the 14 sports at the University has one or more Daisy Duck Committee chairperson who meets with coaches and is responsible for organizing efforts directed toward that specific sport. Unck is the chairwoman for men’s basketball, for which she and other members prepare cookies and snacks for the team’s road games.
Unck’s father, Gilbert “Gib” Olinger, played basketball for the Ducks from 1932-34, a major reason for her current commitment, she said. She has been a member for six years and will become president this July.
“It really brought me back to Eugene,” Unck said of her father’s playing career. “I wanted to give back to the community. I’m so glad I did because this way I keep in touch.
“We just kind of give them (athletes) that mom feeling. It’s enjoyable to give them a smile or hug every once-in-a-while when they need it. We have a lot of fun. It’s a good group.”
The Daisy Ducks also volunteer their assistance at various athletic events and host potluck dinners for each sport throughout the year in an effort to provide a home-cooked meal for the teams and an opportunity to show appreciation for the hard-work by both the athletes and Daisy Ducks, according to Unck.
“It’s special. It kind of gives it a more personal, family feeling,” Oregon center Ray Schafer said. “It’s pretty cool. I love it. They’re always there. They are always encouraging.”
The Daisy Ducks currently are researching the possibility of introducing an all-student Campus Daisy Ducks to work under the original group.
To apply for the Daisy Ducks, a potential member must fill out a brochure available at the University Bookstore, Duck Shops, The Duck Athletic Fund office or Autzen Stadium. They are also available on the group’s Web site, daisyducks.org.
“This is a group of dedicated women, who believe in the athletes and will support the University of Oregon and the athletes,” Unck said. “If you are a supporter and want to have some fun, then I would say come aboard.”

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