LACEY, Wash. - Saint Martin's University celebrated its 9th 3.21GIVE day yesterday, and Saints Athletics led the charge, raising over $142k across all athletic priorities.
The record setting result is a testament to the generous spirit of the entire Saints community, and a product of the philanthropic leadership shown by Joe and Betty Alongi, Pat Skeel, and Paul and Megan Oczkewicz.
Motivated by a desire to honor the contributions of former Director of Athletics, Bob Grisham, and encourage more student-athletes to give back to their alma mater, Joe and Betty presented the first $25k challenge in connection with the Grisham Legacy Fund, an endowment to support student-athlete scholarships. Sharing a similar passion for the Saints and desire to get others involved, long-time friend of the Alongis and Saint Martin's, Pat Skeel, initiated her own $25k challenge in connection with the Saints Athletic Excellence Fund, an expendable and unrestricted fund for all athletic programs. Inspired by the example set by the Alongi and Skeel Challenges, and with their own deep ties to Saint Martin's, Paul and Megan Oczkewicz utilized 3.21GIVE as an occasion to establish their own athletics endowment that will provide a combination of unrestricted and scholarship support to the department. These three illustrations of philanthropic leadership laid the foundation for the Saints most successful day of giving on record.
Reflecting on the day's results, Director of Athletics, Steve O'Brien, expressed gratitude for those who participated and emphasized the impact of private support. "We are extraordinarily grateful to all of those who participated in yesterday's day of giving. The example set by Joe, Betty, Pat, Paul and Megan, is just a glimpse of what is possible through power of philanthropy. I'm excited to be a part of an intercollegiate athletics program and a university with such a strong culture of philanthropy. The impact on the lives of our student-athletes and the caliber of our athletic programs will be unparalleled."
If you have questions about supporting Saints Athletics, please feel free to contact Director of Athletics, Steve O'Brien, at sobrien@stmartin.edu.
