Indiana University Athletics
Student-Athletes Thank Donors at Annual Varsity Club Event
4/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Varsity Club
April 13, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.- On Thursday, April 12th , nearly 200 Indiana University student-athletes participated in the 9th annual Thank-a-thon, an event hosted by the IU Varsity Club. This annual event is an opportunity for student-athletes to express their appreciation for generous donations to support athletic scholarships via phone calls and hand-written letters. The student-athletes gathered in the Basketball Press room in Assembly Hall and participated in one of two 75-minute sessions.
Senior baseball pitcher Drew Leininger, who participated in Thursday's Thank-a-thon, said, " I enjoy this event because we don't always get to create the personal connection with the donors who make getting a college degree possible. I am from California and it is an honor to have a scholarship donated every year so I can play ball for the school I love. Writing thank you letters and making some phone calls is the least we can do for the Hoosier Nation that supports us."
Junior wrestler Geno Capezio added, "Sometimes we don't always get the opportunity to express how grateful we are, it's a fun event and a great way to reach out and say `thanks' to those folks we don't always see!"
Student-athletes that participated in the Thank-a-thon completed over 1,920 hand-written thank you letters, and made 1443 phone calls to our donors. Of the phone calls that were made, about 587 people were reached, and about 863 messages were left.
About the Varsity Club
Established in 1954, the Varsity Club serves as the development arm of IU Athletics. Through its scholarship and capital fundraising efforts, the Varsity Club enables 640 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports to receive quality academic and athletic experiences at Indiana University.
Varsity Club donors represent loyal and passionate Hoosier alumni, friends and fans. Their devotion to preserving and enhancing the rich tradition of IU Athletics makes a direct impact on Hoosier success and is important to maintaining our tradition of excellence at IU. To learn more about the IU Varsity Club, contact us at varsity@indiana.edu or (812) 855-0866.
