For today’s blog, I wanted to give a quick update on the 2020 Go Johnnies Challenge and the fundraising efforts of Johnnie Hockey. This past Thursday, March 26, the SJU athletic department announced that we will be postponing the Go Johnnies Challenge to a later date. This is a tough time for a lot of people with the Coronavirus and the financial volatility in the country. We do not feel that this is the time to ask for donations.
With that being said, I wanted to give an update on the amazing support that we received this past year from alumni and friends of SJU Hockey. During the 2019 Go Johnnies Challenge, SJU Hockey finished second in the athletic department, only behind football in money raised, during the 24-hour challenge. We raised an amazing $42,900 from 128 donors. This support allowed us to provide so much more for the players that dedicate their time and energy to this team.
I was able to purchase a new glove drier, a Sparx skate sharpener and new travel bags for the team. These are things that will help this program for years to come. In regard to player experience, we were able to take the team to Boston for a tournament in early January. I was able to purchase all of the airline tickets for the team and we were also able to take the team to a Boston Bruins game at the TD Garden. It was an amazing trip for the guys and an experience they will always remember. It is amazing every year when we ask the seniors to give one of their best memories, it always seems to involve the team trip. In my 12 years here at SJU, we have been to Germany, northern Italy, Japan, New York twice and to Boston this year. These trips add to each player’s 4-year experience and I am now able to tell recruits that in their 4 years at SJU they will take one trip out east for a tournament and one trip abroad.
Even though the Go Johnnies Challenge has been postponed this year, we have still received over $2,000 from 23 donors. This does not include the matching gifts that we had lined up for this year that were set to roll out during the 24-hour challenge. We will be releasing those when we do the full challenge later in the year. With all of this said, the money raised through this fundraiser is integral to our ability to provide the player experience that we strive for. This year we will be purchasing new uniforms, two new sets of goalie equipment, Adidas travel suits, and we plan to make improvements to our locker room.
If you are able to and still feel inclined to donate to Johnnie Hockey, the Go Johnnies Challenge site will remain open. We just don’t plan to implement a full social media fundraising push. We know there are a lot of people that are not going to be able to donate right now, but if you are able to and feel comfortable supporting this program, your support would be greatly appreciated. The link to the site is below.
https://www.givecampus.com/schools/SaintJohnsUniversity/2020-go-johnnies-challenge#donations
One other event to keep on your radar is our 2020 SJU Hockey Golf outing. The event will once again be played at the Monticello Country Club and will be played on Friday, August 28. We hope to fill the course with friends and family of Johnnie Hockey to have a great time!
Thanks again for following and supporting Johnnie Hockey and stay safe during these crazy times!
Go Johnnies!
