As part of Valparaiso University’s “Proud to Be Valpo” Day of Giving last week, the athletics department held the first-ever Athletics Alumni Challenge, and the response was tremendous, as 325 former Valpo student-athletes donated upwards of $41,000 to the athletics department.  The football and men’s tennis programs each won a $5,000 challenge grant, boasting the greatest number of alumni to make a gift and the highest percentage of alumni to make a gift, respectively.

"We are proud that so many of our athletics alumni made the choice to give back to Valparaiso University as part of the Day of Giving last week,” said director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.  “The response we got from alumni across all our teams truly demonstrates the impact that Valpo has had on their lives.  The number of responses is a tremendous encouragement.  We are thankful for all the donations as we continue to strive to produce quality student-athletes.”

More than $26,000 in sport-specific giving, spread over every team that the Valparaiso athletic department sponsors, was raised out of the $41,000 in total donations.  Football raised the greatest amount of money – just over $8,500 – while five other teams also raised at least $1,000 that day.

Football won the $5,000 challenge grant for the largest number of alumni to donate, while track and field, men’s tennis, swimming and men’s soccer rounded out the top-five.  Men’s tennis claimed the $5,000 challenge grant for the highest percentage of alumni to donate, followed by men’s soccer, men’s basketball, volleyball and women’s tennis.