Athletics

478
Donors
$92,250
Donated
This campaign ended on March 21, 2024, but you can still make a gift to Grand Valley State University by clicking here!
Gifts to Athletics contribute to...
2024 GVSU Day of Giving
1,293 Donors - $233,732 Donated
209%
About

Our GV Lakers know how good it feels to win. Now is your chance to help your favorite athletic team win big on Day of Giving. As our students raise vital funding for their programs, they will earn special challenge and match dollars as they hit fundraising goals. That means your gift will make an even greater impact on your favorite team!

Make your gift today and see how your team climbs the leaderboard!

πŸ† Alumni Challenge!

  • The athletic team with the most overall alumni donors will get an $1,000 gift from Kim Schmidt.

πŸ’ͺ Rewarding Hard Work

  • The team with the most overall donors will get an additional $2,500 from GVSU Athletics at the end of the campaign.
  • The team with the most overall dollars raised will get an additional $2,500 from GVSU Athletics at the end of the campaign.

🏈 Football Challenge

  • Darrell '82 & Sharon Niedzwiecki will match $1 for every $1 donated to the Football Special Projects fund, up to $2,500.

πŸ€ Men's Basketball Challenge

  • Michael Davis '88 will make gift of $500 if 15 donors make a gift to the Basketball Men Special Projects fund.

πŸ€ Women's Basketball Challenge

  • Mike Williams will make gift of $300 if 10 donors make a gift to the Basketball Women Special Projects fund.

πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Cross Country/Track & Field Challenges

  • Jerry Baltes will match $5 per donor, up to $500 for gifts made to the Mike Lints Track & Field Equipment Endowment
  • Jerry Baltes will match $5 per donor, up to $500 for gifts made to the Cross Country/Track Special Projects fund
  • An anonymous Cross Country/Track alumni donor will give $1,000 once a total of 25 donors make a gift to the Mike Lints Track & Field Equipment Endowment or the Cross Country/Track Special Projects fund.

🏌️ Men's Golf Challenge

  • Gareth Lappin will give $250 to the Golf Men Special Projects fund once 25 donors make a gift of any size.

πŸŒοΈβ€β™€οΈ Women's Golf Challenge

  • Kristine (Kading) Schwab '00 will give $250 to the Golf Women Special Projects fund once 10 donors make a gift of any size.

⚾️ Baseball Challenge

  • Doug Lipinski '98 will give $500 to the Baseball Special Projects fund once 10 donors make a gift of any size to that fund.

⚽️Soccer Challenge

  • An anonymous donor will give $1,000 to the Soccer Special Projects fund once 20 donors make a gift of any size to that fund.
  • Katie Hultin will give to the Soccer Special Projects fund once donor milestones are reached. These milestones are:
    • $1,000 when 30 donors give to the fund
    • $1,000 when 40 donors give to the fund
    • $3,000 when 50 donors give to the fund

πŸ₯Ž Softball Challenge

  • The Kretchman Family Fund will give $5,000 to the Softball Special Projects fund once 10 donors make a gift of any size to that fund.

🏊 Swimming/Diving Challenge

  • Kyle '03 and Katy Clark '04 will give $1,000 once 15 donors make a gift to the Swimming/Diving Special Projects fund.
Incentives
Spread the word, get 5 donors, and earn a Day of Giving t-shirt
Only 46 left!
Generate 5 Gifts
In celebration of Grand Valley’s first graduating class in 1967, if you make a gift of $67 or more, you can receive a pair of exclusive Grand Valley socks that are only available for Day of Giving. There are limited pairs available, so make your gift soon before they are gone!
Only 405 left!
Donate $67
Updates
Club Sports Challenge Winners 🌟


Congratulations to our Club Sports winners! Thanks to the generous support of Dottie Johnson, these teams won additional dollars. 

πŸ“’ Top Advocate - Donors 

The advocate who brings in the most donors to a Club Sports team gets to choose the team that receives an extra $500.

Winner: Rowing Club

πŸ“£ Top Advocate – Dollars 

The advocate who raises the most dollars for a Club Sports team gets to choose the team that receives an extra $500. 

Winner: Rowing Club

🏁 Race to 25 Donors 

The first team to hit 25 donors to their Team fund will earn $500.

Winner: Water Ski Club

🏎️ Race to 50 Donors 

The first team to hit 50 donors to their Team fund will earn $500. 

Winner: Rowing Club

πŸ… Alumni Challenge! 

The team with the most overall alumni donors at the end of the campaign will earn $500. 

Winner: Women's Volleyball Club

⏰ Phew, That Was Close!

The team to get the last gift before the campaign closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 21 will earn $500.

Winner: Rowing Club

453 days ago by Katrina Begrow
Athletics Challenge Winners 🌟


Congratulations to our Athletics Challenge winners!

πŸ† Alumni Challenge!

  • The athletic team with the most overall alumni donors will get an $1,000 gift from Kim Schmidt.

Winner: Cross Country/Track


πŸ’ͺ Rewarding Hard Work

  • The team with the most overall donors will get an additional $2,500 from GVSU Athletics at the end of the campaign.

Winner: Cross Country/Track

  • The team with the most overall dollars raised will get an additional $2,500 from GVSU Athletics at the end of the campaign.

Winner: Soccer Team

453 days ago by Katrina Begrow
Wow - thank you, Lakers! πŸ’™


You showed up in a BIG way for our first-ever Day of Giving - thank you! πŸ’™ Your generosity showed our students that the entire Laker community is behind them and that when Lakers Give Back, big things happen. 

We can't wait to share the final results with you soon including the Athletics and Club Sports Team challenge winners. Our student-athletes worked hard to fundraise for their teams and there was some fierce competition. Stay tuned for the results! 

Thanks for your continued support of our GVSU students!

456 days ago by Shannon Dale
Day of Giving Event a HUGE SUCCESS!

We had a blast celebrating Day of Giving with students, faculty, staff, and even Louie the Laker! Everyone was so excited to celebrate Grand Valley and our collective achievements. 

456 days ago by Katrina Begrow
πŸ’™ 1,000 Lakers strong! πŸ’™

Day of Giving has officially surpassed 1,000 donors! Seeing the entire Laker community rally together to support our Grand Valley students is incredibly inspiring. We are so grateful for our generous Lakers!

The best part? We are still going! We still have some great challenges and matches left on the page to double your impact. Plus, GVSU socks are still available to anyone who gives $67 or more before midnight tonight!

456 days ago by Shannon Dale
Over $150,000 raised for Lakers!

We're just over halfway through Day of Giving and have raised over $150,000! Hooray!

457 days ago by Anna Davis
More Challenges and Matches Completed! πŸ₯³

The Laker community is SHOWING UP for Day of Giving! Even more challenges and matches have been completed this morning, including:

  • Paul Plotkowski gave $500 to the Engineering Formula SAE Gift fund because $500 was donated to that fund.
  • Len Van Popering gave $5,000 to the Dean of Students Emergency fund after $2,500 was gifted by donors.
  • Mike Williams gave $300 to the Basketball Women Special Projects fund after 10 donors gave.
  • Doug Lipinski gave $500 to the Baseball Special Projects fund because 10 donors gave.
  • Darrell and Sharon Niedzwiecki gave $2,500 to the Football Special Projects fund because $2,500 was gifted by donors.
  • Kara Van Dam gave gave $1,500 after $500 was donated to the Military & Veterans Resource Center.
  • Aaron Lowen gave $1,000 to the Seidman College of Business after 10 donors made a gift to the college. 

Let's keep this energy going all the way to midnight tonight and complete more matches and challenges!

457 days ago by Anna Davis
πŸŽ‰Thank you!πŸŽ‰


πŸŽ‰ Wow - our Laker community is amazing! Thank you for helping us reach our first major Day of Giving goal! When we hit 616 donors, we unlocked a generous $30,500 from the GVU Foundation Directors.

Let's keep up the momentum! Stay tuned for more challenges and matches throughout the day that double your impact and help ensure every student has the resources they need to thrive.

457 days ago by Shannon Dale
Challenges and Matches Completed!

Thanks to support from the Laker community, several Day of Giving challenges and matches have been completed:

  • An anonymous donor gave $1,000 because 20 donors made a gift to the Soccer Special Projects fund. 
  • Paul Plotkowski made a gift of $500 to the Computing & Information Systems Scholarship fund because $500 was donated to the fund.
  • The Kretchman Family Fund gave $5,000 to the Softball Special Projects fund because 10 donors made a gift. 
457 days ago by Anna Davis
Anchor Up with Socks!


We’re celebrating Day of Giving with socks! In honor of the Pioneer Class of 1967, you’ll receive a pair of limited-edition socks when you make a gift of $67 or more. Don't miss your chance to Anchor Up!

458 days ago by Anna Davis
Challenges and Matches Completed!

Thanks to support from the Laker community, several Day of Giving challenges and matches were completed:

  • Philomena V. Mantella gave $1,000 because 100 donors gave to the campaign.
  • An Anonymous donor gave $1,000 because 20 donors gave to the Soccer Special Projects fund.
  • Nicolas Baine & Elaine Baine gave $100 because 10 donors gave to the campaign.
  • Amy Manderscheid gave $1,000 because $1,000 was donated to the Kirkhof College of Nursing Endowment. 
458 days ago by Anna Davis
Make a gift, get socks!

In celebration of Grand Valley’s first graduating class in 1967, if you make a gift of $67 or more, you can receive a pair of exclusive Grand Valley socks that are only available for Day of Giving. There are limited pairs available, so make your gift soon before they are gone!


476 days ago by Anna Davis

Donor Affiliations
Gradhat icon31%Alumni
Parent icon20%Parents
Friends icon18%Friends
Book icon8%Students
Suitcase icon7%Staff
Suitcase icon2%Faculty
Suitcase icon2%Retirees
Most Recent Donors
1 Percent Better & Kim Ann
1 Percent Better & Kim Ann
Christopher G. Robinson
Christopher G. Robinson
Robert J. Oosdyke
Robert J. Oosdyke
Guillermo W. Bueno
Guillermo W. Bueno
James W. Clabuesch 1987
James W. Clabuesch 1987
Kathleen A. Rittenberg 1970
Kathleen A. Rittenberg 1970
Susan Owens
Susan Owens
Mckenzee R. Nesbitt
Mckenzee R. Nesbitt
Karin L. Matusiak
Karin L. Matusiak
Aaron Cyrkiel
Aaron Cyrkiel

Advocates

Grand Valley University Foundation Directors

Gave $30,500 during a Challenge!

Shannon Dale

Generated 1019 clicks and 113 gifts, totaling $9,369

Gareth Lappin

Generated 23 clicks and 11 gifts, totaling $6,117

Community Advocates

Generated 1467 clicks and 59 gifts, totaling $5,805

CLAS Advisory Board + Dean's Office

Gave $5,100 during a Challenge!

Len Van Popering

Offered a $5,000 match

Kretchman Family Fund

Gave $5,000 during a Challenge!

Katie Hultin

Gave $3,000 during a Challenge!

Fatma Mili

Offered a $3,000 match

Eliot Van Pelt

Generated 326 clicks and 57 gifts, totaling $2,616
View All Advocates