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The Cortland Challenge is back!

04/18/2023 

The annual Cortland Challenge is about alumni, faculty, staff and friends coming together to make a difference for SUNY Cortland and its students.

And this year, donors can help unlock more than $100,000 in matching gifts.

On Wednesday, April 19, SUNY Cortland supporters can give to the campus cause of their choice at RedDragonNetwork.org/challenge. Those causes include The Cortland Fund, academic departments, athletic teams, campus programming and more.

“I have been amazed by the outpouring of generosity shown by Cortland’s students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and friends in recent Cortland Challenges,” said President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our community to show off its school spirit and support a number of crucial initiatives. The Cortland Challenge demonstrates who we are. We are on a mission to serve others.”

Several generous alumni have pledged matching gifts to support the Cortland Challenge, including Louise Conley, Victor M. Rumore II ’84, Sheri Baron ’77, Ernest Logan ’73, Peter Eisenhardt ’67 and Susan Fish. A total of $60,000 in matching gifts will be unlocked throughout the day as certain donor thresholds are met:  

  • $10,000 unlocked at 607 donors to celebrate the community where the university is located.
  • $10,000 unlocked at 900 donors in honor of the approximately 900 donor-funded scholarships awarded each academic year.
  • $10,000 unlocked at 1,517 donors in honor of the 1,517 graduate and undergraduate students who became SUNY Cortland alumni in 2022.
  • $10,000 unlocked at 2,242 donorsin recognition of the 2,242 graduate and undergraduate courses offered to SUNY Cortland students.
  • $20,000 unlocked at 3,362 donors, which would be a record-setting number of Cortland Challenge donors.

Anthony ’86 and Susan Moon have contributed $10,000 to serve as a dollar-for-dollar match for all gifts made to The Cortland Fund during the Cortland Challenge. Joel Tiss ’85 and Cheryl Barredo M ’81 have each offered an additional $1,000 match to The Cortland Fund to keep momentum up throughout the day.

The Athletics Challenge will be backed by a generous, $10,000 matching gift offered by Susan Zawacki ’74 and an anonymous ’71 grad. 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 have been created, offering each team the opportunity to earn up to $2,600 in matches for their program.

The Department Challenge has returned for the second year, offering an opportunity for academic and campus departments to raise funds for their specific needs. Dollar-for-dollar matches have been made for various departments by Sheri Baron ’77, Ernie Logan ’73, Bill ’88 and Emily Richards ’88, Frank Rossi, David ’80 and Sandra Kronman, Robert Bookman ’76, Esq., Bert Edelstein ’74, and Cheryl Barredo M ’81.

To learn more, visit RedDragonNetwork.org/challenge. Use the hashtag #CortlandChallenge to follow along with other Red Dragons on Challenge day through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.