Kent State Athletics Celebrates a Banner Fundraising Year
8/9/2022 11:17:00 AM | General, The Golden Flashes Club, Play As One
The Golden Flashes Club raises more than $3.6 million for student-athletes as part of its ongoing Play As One campaign
KENT, OHIO – In Athletic Director Randale L. Richmond's first full year at the helm of the Kent State Department of Athletics, support from donors and alumni for The Golden Flashes Club (TGFC) reached an unprecedented level of generosity.
During the 2022 fiscal year, TGFC set a record with more than 2,300 donors, an increase of 189 percent from the previous year. In total, TGFC raised more than $3.675 million dollars, the most since 2017. Support to The Golden Flashes Club offers scholarship assistance to more than 400 student-athletes.
"Our donation numbers are incredibly encouraging and exciting," Richmond said. "I commend our philanthropy team for their great work as well as to our coaches and staff who are fully engaged with the process. Our donor-centric approach is yielding great results, and I am reassured each day that our alumni and donors are just as excited about the future of Kent State Athletics as we are."
Additionally, the Golden Flashes secured six philanthropic gifts to name athletics' facilities across the Kent Campus. These gifts were a big part of the ongoing Play As One fundraising campaign and the university's annual Giving Tuesday campaign. Athletics raised $357,000 during the November 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign in support of each of its athletic programs.
"I could not be prouder to be a part of this amazing team," Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement Maggie McKendry said. "Our alumni and donors are excited to get involved with all the impactful things were are doing to elevate the student-athlete experience at Kent State. It was wonderful to welcome everyone back in person to our games and events, and we can't wait to bring them along this journey to #PlayAsOne."
The Golden Flashes Club also had the return of the athletics scholarship auction to the MAC Center. The 10th annual event brought in 300 guests, raising $120,000 dollars for student-athlete scholarships.
Kent State Athletics' fundraising success contributed to a record-breaking year for the Kent State Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement's Forever Brighter comprehensive campaign. Publicly launched in October 2021, Forever Brighter is the most ambitious comprehensive fundraising campaign in the history of Kent State, aiming to raise $350 million for student scholarships, university initiatives and facilities. Through the philanthropy of more than 10,680 donors, the university raised $77.6 million in support of Kent State students during the 2022 fiscal year.
These fundraising efforts support an athletic department that took home awards for eight conference players of the year, five conference titles and two coaches of the year. Nearly 200 student-athletes earned academic all-conference honors and the department earned the Mid-American Conference's Jacoby Award, given annually to the top women's athletic department in the conference, for the second year in a row and 11th time overall.
About The Golden Flashes Club
The Golden Flashes Club is led by Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement, Maggie McKendry. Brian Grubich serves as the Associate Director for Athletic Advancement. Paul Krouse joined the team this year as the Director of The Golden Flashes Club. Scolin MacLean is the Director of Creative Solutions for Athletic Advancement, and Kam Smith is The Golden Flashes Club graduate assistant. For more information about The Golden Flashes Club, how to join and the benefits associated with TGFC, please see the annual Program.
