From Kazakhstan to Florida, more than 200 Embry-Riddle student-athlete alumni rallied to raise $74,000 on March 1, 2018, for the inaugural Daytona Beach Eagles’ Varsity Club Day of Giving.
“I’ve been humbled by the support of our former Embry-Riddle student athletes,” says John Phillips (’90, ’92), director of athletics at the Daytona Beach Campus. “It’s a testimony to the relationships that our coaches and staff have built with our players over the years and a great indication of the connection that our student athletes have with their alma mater.”
In all, 232 donors representing 35 states and 18 countries contributed during the 24-hour period.
Men’s soccer was the top team participant, with more than 50 former student athletes contributing. Baseball and women’s soccer came in second and third, respectively, in the unofficial team giving contest.
“Living life with a giving spirit makes you more successful both personally and professionally. That’s just one of many lifelong principles that Embry-Riddle athletics taught me.”
Relaunched on the Daytona Beach Campus in 1989, Embry-Riddle’s men’s soccer program will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall, with plans to host an alumni celebration in April 2019, says Dave Gregson, head men’s soccer coach.
Gregson says he was proud of the soccer alumni for taking a lead in the philanthropic effort. “Part of their own life story was shaped by their experiences here, and they want current players to enjoy the same wonderful memories and lasting friendships they had,” he says.
Sarah Brisson (’08), a soccer team alumna, would agree. The Athletics Day of Giving prompted her to create a scholarship for female soccer players.
“Living life with a giving spirit makes you more successful both personally and professionally,” Brisson says. “That’s just one of many lifelong principles that Embry-Riddle athletics taught me, and it’s an honor to give back to the program that instilled those values.”