Buccaneers Raise Over $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Fourndation

INDIANAPOLIS --The Barry Buccaneers raised $20,220.50 for the Make-A-Wish foundation in 2013-14, the second-highest total in the history of the partnership between the foundation and NCAA Division II.

Student-athletes across the country set a Division II fundraising record for Make-A-Wish America during the academic year, raising $567,778. The fundraising total surpassed the previous division record, set in 2012-13, by more than $50,000.

Barry's efforts helped propel the Sunshine State Conference to third place among the 24 conference in Division II. The Bucs were responsible for more than half of the conference's total of $36,496.58.

Since Division II student-athletes on the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee started its alliance with Make-A-Wish in 2003, the division has raised nearly $3.5 million for the national nonprofit – helping to fund more than 470 wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Last year alone, student-athletes raised enough to help grant about 70 wishes. Whether it’s a vacation the child has always dreamed of, a visit with a favorite celebrity or tickets to cheer on a beloved sports team, the wishes the organization grants are designed to provide a positive, energizing experience for children battling medical conditions.

“For 11 years, NCAA Division II student-athletes have taken the skills that have allowed them to succeed in athletic competitions, such as teamwork and self-determination, and channeled them toward helping us grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions,” said David Williams, CEO and president of Make-A-Wish America. “This record donation – along with the more than $3 million raised for Make-A-Wish in previous years – will forever change the lives of the wish kids who have had their one true wish granted thanks in part to the efforts of NCAA Division II student athletes throughout the country.”

Nearly 77 percent of schools in Division II participated in the most recent fundraising efforts. Of those, 141 schools exceeded their total raised in 2012-13 and consequently received matching donations through Make-A-Wish America of up to $1,000 for local Make-A-Wish chapters. The matching donations amounted to more than $75,000.

Shanteona Keys, a member of the Division II national SAAC and the Georgia College women’s basketball team, said her school managed to bring in $9,385 through events such as a formal dance, a tennis tournament and a raffle. “I think it has a lot to do with the student-athletes and the attributes we like to hold to high esteem,” Keys said.

At times, the division’s Make-A-Wish alliance provides student-athletes with a front-row seat to see their hard work pay off.  Because the money raised during the previous academic year by five Division II institutions exceeded the national average cost of a wish, Barry University, Edinboro University, Molloy College, Saint Leo University and the University of North Georgia were each given the opportunity in February to host a wish celebration.

Barry’s efforts raising funds and hosting this celebration helped Make-A-Wish send Gustavo, a Miami-area youth, to visit one of Silicon Valley’s leading technological companies.

"The entire university, actually for the first time, really got behind everything that was going on," Barry Dean of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences Darlene Kluka said. "You can't ask for anything more than that."

Barry helped announce Gustavo’s wishbefore the men’s basketball game at Health & Sports Center on Homecoming Weekend.

"Our student-athletes have been phenomenal in their efforts to raise money to make wishes come true," Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua said. "Not only are they excelling in the classroom in their studies, but they're also, as members of the Sunshine State Conference, contributing to the goals of NCAA Division II. The energy that they put into raising money each year to make wishes come true with the partnership of the Make-A-Wish Foundation ... we're very proud of them, and what they have achieved."

Division II is already looking to build upon its fundraising success, with its fourth annual Week of Wishes running Oct. 3-15. During that time, the division is encouraging its schools to host Make-A-Wish fundraisers at campus sporting events and to spread awareness of the cause on social media.

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