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Cortland Challenge 2022 is tomorrow

04/05/2022 

Tomorrow is Challenge Day!

SUNY Cortland’s annual, daylong fundraising event starts at midnight Wednesday, April 6. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends have 24 hours to give to the campus cause of their choice at RedDragonNetwork.org/challenge. Those causes include academic departments, athletic teams and specific initiatives such as the Friends of Parks Alumni House and The Cortland Fund.

And this year, donors can help unlock more than $70,000 in matching gifts.

“The Cortland Challenge channels the remarkable energy of the university community’s competitive spirit to make a real difference in the lives of our students and the work of our campus,” President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “Our goal is more about participation than the size of individual gifts.”

To make a gift, learn more or track tomorrow’s progress, visit RedDragonNetwork.org/challenge. Use the hashtag #CortlandChallenge to follow along with other Red Dragons on challenge day through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

When you make a gift to The Cortland Fund, your contribution is going directly to the university’s greatest areas of need and has an impact on the entire campus community.

The Cortland Fund supports campus life in a variety of ways, including:

  • Scholarships
    • Honors Convocation awards
    • Professional development for faculty and staff
    • Technology and software
    • Major events
    • Alumni Engagement program support
    • The Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House

Several generous alumni have pledged matching gifts to support the Cortland Challenge,  including Sheri Baron ’77, Linda Gadkowski ’66, Anthony ’86 and Susan Moon and Victor M. Rumore II ’84. A total of $41,000 in matching gifts will be unlocked throughout Challenge Day as certain donor thresholds are met:  

  • $10,000 unlocked at 517 donors in honor of the 517 campus and alumni programs that SUNY Cortland hosted during the 2021-22 academic year. The Cortland Fund provides support to a variety of events and programs each year.
  • $10,000 unlocked at 900 donors in honor of the approximately 900 donor-sponsored and Cortland Fund scholarships awarded throughout the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters. These scholarships are awarded based on merit, leadership, campus involvement, diversity and more.
  • $10,000 unlocked at 1,358 donors in honor of the 1,358 SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members. Each year The Cortland Fund provides support for faculty and staff development.
  • $11,000 unlocked at 1,812 donors in honor of the 1,812 SUNY undergraduate students who have the potential to graduate in May 2022.

There are also some dollar-for-dollar matching opportunities:

  • $15,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching gifts is available from Lynne Parks Hoffman ’68 for donations to support the Friends of Parks Alumni House fund.
  • The Division of Institutional Advancement has collectively contributed $2,500 to serve as a dollar-for-dollar match for The Cortland Fund.
  • Cheryl Barredo M ’81 is giving $1,000 toward a power hour challenge. Look for details on social media during Challenge Day!

A general athletics challenge will be backed by a generous, $11,000 matching gift offered by Mike Cappeto ’71, M ’73; Sandy Morley ’77; Barbara LoPiccolo ’69; Joan Sitterly and Gary Miller; Paul Fernandes ’67 and Kathy Lopez Fernandes ’67; Don ’75, M ’80 and Loraine Ridall ’77, M ’78, and Jim ’63 and Lois Codispoti ’64.

  • If 759 donors give to any of the athletics program funds, including general athletics and C-Club Endowment, $1,000 will be awarded to The Cortland Fund. A total of 759 student athletes participated during the 2021-22 fall, winter and spring seasons.
  • This year, the 20 teams will be broken into four categories: small, medium, large and extra-large based on the number of alumni and previous donor participation. A variety of awards will be made to unlock donor matches.