Division II Sets Make-A-Wish Fundraising Bar Led by UNG’s Record Donation

University of North Georgia

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of North Georgia raised more money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2015-16 than any other NCAA Division II school, the NCAA released earlier this week. UNG set a new record with $34,000 raised, bettering its own mark of $21,413 in 2013-14.

North Georgia is currently in the early stages of its 2016-17 Make-A-Wish fundraising campaign that will culminate on Monday, Mar. 27 with the 2nd Annual Run with Nigel Run/Walk on the Dahlonega campus.

Earlier this year, the Nighthawk Nation hosted Alexis Mendoza as a member of the UNG women’s soccer team, marking the school’s fifth consecutive on-campus hosting of a Wish child.

Division II schools raised more than $608,000 for Make-A-Wish during the 2015-16 academic year, marking the fifth consecutive year the division has set a fundraising record.

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The division has raised more than $4.7 million for Make-A-Wish since beginning its partnership with the nonprofit 13 years ago. Those funds have been used to grant more than 590 wishes for children around the country who face life-threatening medical conditions.

The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee established the partnership with Make-A-Wish in 2003 and continues to drive the division-wide initiative. SAAC continued a model adopted last year in which money collected from championship and enforcement fines are added to institutional fundraising totals to allow institutions the opportunity to host a wish reveal party on campus. In 2015-16, five schools raised above the national average cost of a wish reveal – $9,500 – and automatically earned a wish reveal party. For an additional 21 schools, which all raised $5,000 or more, SAAC will award money from the fines to help them meet the minimum fundraising requirement for a wish reveal.

“The fundraising effort for Make-A-Wish is so important because it provides SAAC and Division II athletes the chance to realize the positive impact they can have in someone’s life,” said Christopher Pike, a former football student-athlete at Gannon University and former Division II SAAC chair. “Division II SAAC couldn’t be more pleased with this year’s Make-A-Wish efforts, and we continually hope that we as a division can keep raising the bar because together we are making a huge difference.”

UNG Athletics Make-A-Wish Quick Facts
Since 2010, UNG has raised over $107,000 for Make-A-Wish, having raised at least $10,000 in every year since 2010-2011, meaning more than 10 wishes have been granted from the efforts of the Nighthawk Nation.
UNG’s donation of $34,000 after the 2015-16 season marks the highest ever single-season donation by a NCAA Division II school.
North Georgia has finished in the top five NCAA Division II donors for six consecutive years, including being the top donor on four occasions.
UNG has won the PBC’s Make-A-Wish Award, named after former UNG student-athlete LeeAnn Noble, for five consecutive years.
UNG has hosted five consecutive Make-A-Wish events on campus with coverage by ESPN3 and WSBTV Channel 2 (Atlanta).

– UNG Athletic Communications

LEE GLENN // Associate Athletic Director, External Operations
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA ATHLETICS

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