Team News

Liberty University raised a total of $2,905,610 through 6,621 donations during this week’s annual Giving Day campaign and Club Sports partnered with the Flames Club and Liberty’s Development office for the second year in a row to help fund the operating budgets, equipment, and travel expenses, including mission trips, for its thriving programs.

In all, Club Sports’ 42 teams received more than 2,300 individual donations totaling $263,290.75.

“It was just a phenomenal day,” said Ben Hughes, Club Sports’ Director of Recruitment and the Varsity Club. “We had a goal and we surpassed our goal and we were so pumped. Raising the money was unbelievable, but getting that engagement with the number of donors is awesome. We’re extremely thankful for all the donors and their support.”

The DI men’s hockey team benefited from an anonymous $25,000 matching grant through a fundraising challenge set up on the Club Sports Giving Day page and led all programs in donations received.

“God blessed us in a huge way,” Flames Head Coach and Club Sports Athletic Director Kirk Handy said.

The men’s and women’s triathlon teams earned a $7,500 bonus out of a $20,000 challenge for most gifts received with 406 donations of at least $10, bringing its total amount raised to more than $16,000. Men’s swimming placed second in that challenge with 317 pledges, earning a $5,000 bonus that pushed its fundraising total to nearly $18,000. Men’s lacrosse came in third with 261 donations to add $4,000 to its total of over $21,000 — second only to DI men’s hockey in terms of total money raised. The DII men’s (205 donations) and women’s hockey (181) teams ranked fourth and fifth, giving them an extra $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, from the challenge to raise their totals to over $18,000 and nearly $12,000.

The men’s Division III team ranked third in total donations received with $19,050 raised. Complete totals are available online.

Hughes and the Club Sports staff helped to organize a “Giving Day Games Night” from 4-7 p.m. on the upstairs concourse of the LaHaye Ice Center, Club Sports’ headquarters. More than 300 student-athletes turned out for fun competitions ranging from cornhole, KanJam, and golf putting to Minute To Win It games, with plenty of food and prizes given away and a photo booth set up for the occasion.

“Overall, the playing and competition helped create a certain amount of energy around the event and get our student-athletes engaged to raise support, by reaching out to friends and family,” Hughes said. “It was just really awesome to see God’s providence over the whole event leading up to it, the preparation, and during the day, through the execution. A lot of work went into it with a lot of other departments.”

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media