Colorado State University Athletics
CSU track & field raises over $25,000 from Ramfunder campaign
12/12/2018 10:21:00 AM | Ram Club, Track & Field
Rams exceed original Ramfunder goal of $10,000 and second goal of $20,000
FORT COLLINS, Colo.—The Colorado State Rams track and field program, and head coach Brian Bedard, announced the recent completion of a very successful Ramfunder campaign that raised a total of $25,540 for new equipment, significantly exceeding the goal of $10,000.
Â
Coach Bedard expressed his gratefulness for the generosity of those who donated, as well as his staff, student-athletes and the CSU Athletics Development team—led on this campaign by Layne Doctson—for their hard work in raising awareness for the campaign and soliciting support.
Â
"I, honestly, didn't know how well the Ramfunder would go," Bedard said. "To see the support from our alumni and friends of CSU track and field is inspirational to our team and the staff. Any athlete or team wants to feel supported and encouraged, and the response provides extra motivation across our entire program as we begin the indoor season."
Â
In all, 119 donors contributed to the campaign, and 36 of those were first-time donors to Colorado State University, and subsequently, to Athletics. The early response was so strong—including an anonymous matching gift of $10,000 within the first week—that a new goal of $20,000 was established.
Â
The campaign was launched at an Oct. 13 grand opening event for the upgraded Jack Christiansen Track, which included a completely new track surface and throws cages among other improvements. At the grand opening event hundreds of alumni athletes, their families, friends of the program and CSU track and field supporters gathered to celebrate the finished facility and heard the introduction of the Ramfunder campaign.
Â
Support for the campaign began immediately, with an overwhelming number of donors stepping forward in the first week to build momentum. The campaign ended the day before Thanksgiving, and the generous donations totaling $25,540 will specifically go toward the purchase of the following:
- Hurdles
- Hurdle carts
- Starting blocks
- Starting block cart
- High jump standards
"Having quality equipment will enhance practice each day with the student-athletes, along with providing the best and safest experience while hosting four quality home meets on our new NCAA/IAAF-certified outdoor track," Bedard described. "The facility and quality equipment will also help attract quality track teams to our home meets, which will enhance the competitive opportunities for the Rams. Another benefit is making the facility more attractive to recruits. When a recruit is on campus with his or her family and they see the investment Colorado State has made to track and field it can influence a recruit's decision to attend CSU."
Â
Bedard also expressed his appreciation for being able to announce the Ramfunder campaign at the grand opening event in October, where so many supporters and friends of the program could see the investment that the university had made in Jack Christiansen Track.
Â
"The celebration was important for our program and alumni because it's a significant milestone for CSU Track and Field," Bedard said. "Any time a program has a significant facility upgrade it's special. It affects everything we do from training, recruiting and hosting track meets at CSU. The facility will positively affect our program for many, many years. The timing of the event was really important to us. We wanted to join forces with the Homecoming weekend activities to make it a special weekend."
Â
With significant investments already being made in Jack Christiansen Track and in practice and meet equipment, and the larger meets the Rams can host, Bedard also expressed a great need for meet volunteers.
Â
"Meet volunteers are instrumental to the success of running a quality home meet experience," Bedard explained. "It takes many workers to run a quality meet, from raking jump pits to moving hurdles and blocks, running the wind gage, marking throws and pulling tape measure."
Â
Bedard emphasized that meet volunteers do not need to have specific prior experience. All that is required is a desire to help the track and field program, and the volunteer will placed in a position and trained on the job.
Â
Those interested in volunteering at CSU track and field meets are encouraged to contact CSU assistant coach Andrew Epperson, the program's officials and meet workers coordinator (713-206-9974; andrew.epperson@colostate.edu).
Â
