Foundation

NIRSA Foundation highlights from the Annual Conference

A look at the Foundation’s successes in Minneapolis and over the past year

The NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to share some inspiring news from the 2007 Annual Conference in Minneapolis.

Scholarships and endowments

This year 17 students and 3 professional members were recognized with NIRSA Foundation Scholarships. Each recipient was awarded a scholarship in the amount equal to registration fees to attend this year’s NIRSA Annual Conference or a specialty symposium. These scholarships were funded by general Foundation holdings and the endowments of William Wasson, Sonia and Max Gartenberg, Region VI SoCal, Texas, Will Holsberry, and Anthony J (Tony) Chivetta, along with scholarships named for our three Corporate Partners – Woodway, Sports Imports, and Star Trac. 

In addition, the NIRSA Foundation Board approved three endowments this year. The Texas Endowment provides registration funding for the NIRSA Annual Conference for a student from the great state of Texas. The Founders Endowment will provide funding for the NIRSA Annual Conference for a professional and a student from a historically black college or university. This award honors the 22 African American founders of the National Intramural Association, NIRSA’s predecessor. The Region V Endowment will provide registration funding for the NIRSA Annual Conference for a student from Region V.

$1 Million Milestone Campaign

Since its inception in 1992, the NIRSA Foundation, with your assistance, has accumulated holdings of nearly three quarters of a million dollars for the future of our profession. Last year, the Foundation developed the $1 Million Milestone Campaign, which is designed to bring the NIRSA Foundation’s holdings beyond the million dollar mark by 2010. In addition to funding the registration scholarships, the NIRSA Foundation supports the Career Opportunities Center and sponsors the Recreational Sports Journal.

With the announcement of the $1 Million Milestone Campaign, long-time Associate Member Woodway generously agreed to contribute $50,000 over a five-year period to become the “exclusive cardio partner of the NIRSA Foundation”.

Sports Imports and Star Trac became the second and third NIRSA Foundation $1 Million Milestone Campaign corporate partners this year, each committing to contribute $50,000 over the next five years. Sports Imports is designated as the “official volleyball, badminton, and tennis net system” of the NIRSA Foundation and Star Trac is the Presenting Sponsor of the NIRSA Foundation Career Opportunities Center.

The NIRSA Foundation was honored to have the United States Tennis Association as the sole Matching Sponsor of the annual fundraising campaign. The USTA matched up to $15,000 of contributions made by NIRSA Members during the Annual Conference. This was a record-breaking year, with members contributing $20,237 in cash donations!

2007 NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament participants

Jodi Hawkins, University of Rhode Island, was the lucky winner of this year’s T-shirt quilt

NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament

One hundred twenty golfers participated in the 13th Annual NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament, which raised approximately $2,000 for the Foundation. In 13 years, the tournament has raised over $50,000 for the Foundation. This year’s sponsors include: Woodway, Sunflower Marketing, C.C. Creations, Texon II Towels, The University Network, Airforce Nutrisoda, and The Collegiate Golf Alliance (CGA).

The CGA and the National Collegiate Golf Championships contributed $6,714 to the Foundation this past year through the entry fees paid by all the participants in the local qualifying tournaments.

Quilt raffle

This year’s quilt featured 20 award-winning T-shirts from our 2006 T-shirt Competition, and was designed by Jacqueline Hamilton from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Proceeds from quilt raffle ticket sales raised over $1600. Student scholarship winner Christine Dias, the top raffle ticket seller with $217 in sales, drew the winning ticket. Jodi Hawkins, University of Rhode Island, was the lucky winner and made arrangements to have the quilt shipped to her. In addition, an anonymous donor provided a $100 donation to the Foundation in Christine’s name, boosting her immediately to the Bronze Level.

All of the student scholarship winners volunteer to work at the Foundation Table and in the Career Opportunities Center, assist with the T-shirt Competition, and sell quilt raffle tickets during the Conference. Their assistance is invaluable and much appreciated.

T-shirt & Apparel Competition

Hundreds of T-shirts and other items were entered into the NIRSA Foundation T-shirt & Apparel Competition, or donated for the rack sale. The competition winners are listed in this issue of the NIRSA Know. The winning T-shirts have been sent to Roy Easley, retired member from Cal Poly Pomona. Roy will use them to make the quilt that will be raffled at the NIRSA 2008 Annual Conference in Austin.

Thank you for a very successful year.