Champions Challenge Surpasses 24-Hour Goals

11/12/2015 

UPDATE: The College’s 24-hour Champions Challenge saw 687 donors give a collective $114,226 after two different fundraising challenges were laid out Thursday, Nov. 12.

EARLIER STORY:

There’s no shortage of reminders that SUNY Cortland produces champions.

In the classroom, students’ scholarly interests are showcased annually at Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference. In athletic competition, Red Dragon sports teams have earned 25 national championships to go along with 100 individual titles. In the community, more than 200,000 hours of volunteer work each year have led to regular recognition by the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Beyond campus, the successful lives and careers of 73,000 inspiring alumni demonstrate that the word “champion” is synonymous with SUNY Cortland.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, an ambitious 24-hour fundraising effort strengthened that winning tradition.

The College sought 273 gifts at the outset — a nod to 73,000 SUNY Cortland alumni — regardless of the amount or campus designation. Once met, challenge donors Gerald “Jerry” Theisen ’53, M.S.Ed. ’58 and Monica Bedford Voldstad ’72, M.S.Ed. ’77 would give $11,000 to the College.

The initial goal was surpassed before 2 p.m., so Cortland College Foundation Board members and former classmates Fritz Favorule ’76 and George Weissman ’76 doubled the challenge goal to 546 for an additional $10,500.

Again, SUNY Cortland alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends rose to the challenge, proving that a day's collective work could produce a lasting impact.