1972 Boardwalk Bowl Champions Fundraising Effort

Members of 1972 Boardwalk Bowl Team:  

As we did with the athletic department ahead of our reunion weekend, we’ve had additional conversations over the last few months working to identify the best ways to keep the momentum going as part of the reunion and support the UMass Football Team into the future. We’ve landed on two major themes. We are 100% behind UMass Football. We want to do everything within our power to help the program be successful.   

Five years ago, we rallied together and raised financial support for improvements in the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center. We made the first "class gift" in the history of UMass Football to initiate and fund the "Wall of Champions" now on display at the performance center. Our gift included support for the design, artwork, graphics, and televisions for the wall. It was wildly successful, we accomplished our goal, and made a direct impact on all those who visit the space, especially the student-athletes.  

Coming off the reunion, we want to go even bigger this time, and set a new bar for future “class gifts” to emulate. We are going to tackle the initiative of raising $100,000 to fund new branding on the first level of the football performance center. This branding will highlight every UMass Football All-American that has worn the maroon and white, including some of our own! You can see a “concept” above of how the athletic department will recognize the team, including adding of all of our names in the branded space, once we achieve the goal.

To make this happen, we need your help, and are striving for 100% participation from the 1972 Team. Just like success we had on the field, contributions from teammates came in all shapes and sizes. And for this fundraising project, we are hopeful to mirror those contributions from all of you.  

We wanted you to know that there are several ways to be involved with the project. 

• Make a one-time gift. This can be sent to the UMass Athletics department via check or made online.
• Make a reoccurring gift. This can be set-up monthly via a credit card and contributed over a year, or longer period.
• Make a multiple year pledge. This is a commitment for a set amount over a three-to-five-year period, with the pledge payment made the same time each year.  
• Make UMass Football part of your legacy. This commitment can be made through one or more gift planning vehicles (Examples: will, living trust, IRA, 401K, 403B or life insurance policy). If any of these are possible options for you, UMass has great professionals to talk more about this.

We’ve been working with David Biancamano (david.biancamano@umass.edu) and he is a great resource and partner on this initiative. Contact him directly for additional insight on the options highlighted above.   

We look forward to celebrating another milestone victory with his group.

Sincerely, 

Chick Hamaty ‘73, John Healy ‘75, Gary Mika ‘75, Tom Mullen ‘73, Phil Roland ‘74, Steve Schubert ‘73, Don Sokolnicki ‘76