A recent endowed gift from alumni for the basketball and hockey teams is rooted in admiration.
“It’s not really that hard of a decision to support Geneseo,” said Kevin Gavagan ’75. “The students are well-rounded, bright and hard-working, and we alumni have an obligation to give back and keep that winning program strong.”
Kevin and Nancy, 1975 and 1976 graduates respectively, have provided a $150,000 endowment to be equally divided between men’s basketball, women’s basketball and ice hockey in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, in addition to major gifts to other departments.
The endowments for the hockey and women’s basketball teams are rooted in the Gavagans’ admiration for how the teams handled the tragic loss of two of their team members two years ago.
“Both the players and coaches brought their programs to amazing levels of accomplishment and responded magnificently during a very difficult time,” said Kevin. “That type of resilience, leadership and strength in adversity deserved recognition and support. So this portion of the gift is not only in remembrance of the students but also in how the team and college handled the loss.”
Kevin’s connection to the athletic department goes back to his time as student manager for the men’s basketball team. He made lifelong friends with many of the team members and they still frequently gather for visits. He also has known men’s hockey coach Chris Schultz for many years and has followed the success of the Ice Knights. He is a member of Geneseo’s Roundtable Athletic Association, an organization that supports Geneseo student-athletes through engaging alumni, parents, local community members and other friends.
“If enough people chime in, they can make a real difference in getting important discretionary items funded to support our athletes,” said Kevin.
Kevin is looking forward to the upcoming hockey and basketball seasons and plans to attend as many of the games as possible.
“Being on campus always brings back wonderful memories of being at the college,” said Kevin. “We alumni always reflect on our time with pride and nostalgia. It’s a very motivating force for giving.”
The Gavagans have a sustained history of philanthropic support for Geneseo, including an outstanding commitment to annual giving. They also established the Kevin ’75 and Nancy (Mogab) ’76 Gavagan Endowed Faculty Incentive Award, the Kevin P. Gavagan Endowed Fund for Faculty Development, an endowment for the office of career development, as well as numberous scholarship funds including the Joseph Czop Memorial Endowed Scholarship and an endowed scholarship fund in the School of Business.
The Gavagans hope that more alumni will support endowments, such as the ones they have established in athletics.
