Athletics Phon-A-Thons Connect Current and Former Red Hawks

Student athletes took over the Montclair State University call center on two recent evenings to reconnect with alumni and donors and help raise money for the Red Hawk Athletic Fund and individual sport teams. 

Red Hawks from the football, field hockey, women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, swimming and diving and volleyball teams got together at the call center on November 19, 2015, to place calls to former Red Hawks and ask for their support, and on January 14, 2016, members of the Red Hawk women’s basketball team did the same.

Donors had the opportunity to give to the general Red Hawk Athletic Fund, Athletic Advising/Academic Programming, Athletic Training, the Hall of Fame Fund, the Women’s Athletic Fund or to any of our 18 varsity athletic teams.

Scott Herget ’08, a former men’s basketball player, was thrilled to get a phone call from a current athlete. “I was so excited to get to talk with a member of the Women’s Basketball team and was happy to give to their cause.”

Both nights were a huge success not only in raising money, but also in reconnecting with athletics alumni. The current students and alumni enjoyed talking sports and swapping stories about their time competing for Montclair State. 

“The call center was an experience that I will never forget,” says senior Meghan Weiss, a captain the field hockey team in 2015. “I exchanged laughs and stories with Montclair alumni who I have never met before and had the opportunity to reconnect with some field hockey alumnae.”

Although some of the student athletes were a little nervous at first about making the calls, they soon settled into the role and had a great time. The two evenings resulted in more than $1,500 in pledges and gifts being raised from many donors, with more on the way through additional pledges. 

Jointly organized by Beth Gottung, Director of Development for Athletics and Stacy Albanese, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, the phone-a-thon was a great experience for the student athletes and a boost for the Department of Athletics.