University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Make An Impact Through Locker Naming Campaign
9/8/2020 2:28:00 PM | Delaware Athletics
Over the past two years, 120 donors have committed to a gift to name a locker in one of the Blue Hens' locker rooms.
While the gesture may seem small, the central location of the plaques, in the physical heart of each program, is symbolic of how important that support is to the operational success of Delaware athletics. These gifts help provide the necessary resources for our student-athletes to learn, train, compete and grow as leaders in their communities. Â
The donors that have given to this project are diverse as the 600-plus Blue Hens student-athletes, each with their own inspiration and story behind their gift.
Kathy and Bob Garrett have been Delaware season ticket holders for various sports for multiple decades, but especially got into Blue Hens basketball, both men's and women's, when their kids were in high school. The Garretts were already donors, giving to things like men's basketball's trip to the Bahamas last year, but when they saw the opportunity to name a locker, they immediately thought of Eric Carter, the All-Colonial Athletic Association forward who played for Delaware from 2014-19.
"I want the next person that's looking at his locker, I want them to look and find out why? What was so special about Eric Carter?" Kathy Garrett said. "I mean, the guy came back from an incredible injury to his knee, worked like the dickens to make it back and to lose that fear that you're going to wreck your knee up again. That has to be a big thing to overcome psychologically. And then he stayed the course when we changed coaches; he could have jumped ship easily, and he didn't, he decided to give it a shot and then to come back for a post-grad year to lead that team."
The Garretts appreciate the impact student-athletes can have on the greater community, and want to continue to give young people that platform.
"You watch them through the years, working out with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA," Kathy Garrett said. "Working out with the young kids, that's a big deal. They have to do an awful lot, not just their own practice time and weightlifting and academic stuff, but they take a little bit of spare time they have to go work out with other kids. That's a big deal to this community, and that's why we support the athletic department."
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For Kate Pendergast (née Townsley), naming a locker was even more personal. Pendergast graduated from UD in 1998 after playing soccer throughout her collegiate career in addition to a year of lacrosse. Her time as a Blue Hen student-athlete not only gave her friends for life, but laid the foundation for a successful career.
"My roommates in college were all through sports. We're all still in touch, we all were at everyone's wedding. We've been there for each other," Pendergast said. "I would have never found that if not for sports. So when I look back, I think I remember a little less what happened on the field now at my age, and more about that immediate support system that is still such a part of my daily life."
"Where I am now in my career and who I am as a person was way more impacted by my experience as a student-athlete than it was, quite honestly, as my experience in the classroom," Pendergast continued. "I loved my classes, I loved my major…but I would say most of the things that have pushed me through my life have been what I learned as a competitive athlete."
Pendergast has a unique perspective on philanthropy, as she currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Hartford.
"When you put names on things with class years, it makes current students aware that there's a world out there of people who came before them who want to support them," Pendergast said. "The other thing is, working in higher education, I really understand the gap between what tuition covers and what it takes to educate students. So if there's a way to feel like you're chipping away at that gap, even at whatever pace or what amount feels right to you, I feel like it's kind of the right thing to do."
As of this spring, the Jogani family now has three UD alumni. Suken ('88) and Maria ('93) both went to Delaware, and their oldest daughter, Ellie, just graduated with a business degree after a four-year career as a swimmer.
Suken, who works in Newark, Del., as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo, and his wife initially gave to Delaware athletics to support the swim team while Ellie was competing. But now they continue to give to support the holistic experience for future student-athletes.
"It was something that was self-driven because our kid was on the team, it's a non-revenue sport, and we saw a benefit to her and her team. But now that's kind of parlayed itself into something bigger," Suken Jogani said. "To see that benefit there for today and for the future for these kids, the career counseling, the various health support systems that they're going to have in place, is why I thought it was important to give to this specific cause."
As for Ellie's experience as a student-athlete and beyond, she capped off her swimming career with a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard IM at the 2020 CAA Championships, and secured a job with Bank of America's private wealth management group in Boston.
"When we introduced the locker donor campaign to our program and alumni, it was well-received from the get-go," Delaware field hockey head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. "With some of the funds generated from our locker drive, our program was able to issue all of the players a heartrate and GPS system, and purchase recovery equipment and tools. All this hardware and software has been instrumental in our players performing at a higher and more consistent level as well as speed up recovery for whatever is next in CAA and NCAA competition."
The locker-naming program showcases how Delaware athletics can impact so many people in different ways, and how those people can give back to the next generation of Blue Hens. To join these fellow Blue Hens in naming a locker in one of our team locker rooms, visit www.bluehens.com/namealocker for more information and to make your gift.
Â
While the gesture may seem small, the central location of the plaques, in the physical heart of each program, is symbolic of how important that support is to the operational success of Delaware athletics. These gifts help provide the necessary resources for our student-athletes to learn, train, compete and grow as leaders in their communities. Â
The donors that have given to this project are diverse as the 600-plus Blue Hens student-athletes, each with their own inspiration and story behind their gift.
Kathy and Bob Garrett have been Delaware season ticket holders for various sports for multiple decades, but especially got into Blue Hens basketball, both men's and women's, when their kids were in high school. The Garretts were already donors, giving to things like men's basketball's trip to the Bahamas last year, but when they saw the opportunity to name a locker, they immediately thought of Eric Carter, the All-Colonial Athletic Association forward who played for Delaware from 2014-19.
"I want the next person that's looking at his locker, I want them to look and find out why? What was so special about Eric Carter?" Kathy Garrett said. "I mean, the guy came back from an incredible injury to his knee, worked like the dickens to make it back and to lose that fear that you're going to wreck your knee up again. That has to be a big thing to overcome psychologically. And then he stayed the course when we changed coaches; he could have jumped ship easily, and he didn't, he decided to give it a shot and then to come back for a post-grad year to lead that team."
The Garretts appreciate the impact student-athletes can have on the greater community, and want to continue to give young people that platform.
"You watch them through the years, working out with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA," Kathy Garrett said. "Working out with the young kids, that's a big deal. They have to do an awful lot, not just their own practice time and weightlifting and academic stuff, but they take a little bit of spare time they have to go work out with other kids. That's a big deal to this community, and that's why we support the athletic department."
Â
For Kate Pendergast (née Townsley), naming a locker was even more personal. Pendergast graduated from UD in 1998 after playing soccer throughout her collegiate career in addition to a year of lacrosse. Her time as a Blue Hen student-athlete not only gave her friends for life, but laid the foundation for a successful career.
"My roommates in college were all through sports. We're all still in touch, we all were at everyone's wedding. We've been there for each other," Pendergast said. "I would have never found that if not for sports. So when I look back, I think I remember a little less what happened on the field now at my age, and more about that immediate support system that is still such a part of my daily life."
"Where I am now in my career and who I am as a person was way more impacted by my experience as a student-athlete than it was, quite honestly, as my experience in the classroom," Pendergast continued. "I loved my classes, I loved my major…but I would say most of the things that have pushed me through my life have been what I learned as a competitive athlete."
Pendergast has a unique perspective on philanthropy, as she currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Hartford.
"When you put names on things with class years, it makes current students aware that there's a world out there of people who came before them who want to support them," Pendergast said. "The other thing is, working in higher education, I really understand the gap between what tuition covers and what it takes to educate students. So if there's a way to feel like you're chipping away at that gap, even at whatever pace or what amount feels right to you, I feel like it's kind of the right thing to do."
As of this spring, the Jogani family now has three UD alumni. Suken ('88) and Maria ('93) both went to Delaware, and their oldest daughter, Ellie, just graduated with a business degree after a four-year career as a swimmer.
Suken, who works in Newark, Del., as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo, and his wife initially gave to Delaware athletics to support the swim team while Ellie was competing. But now they continue to give to support the holistic experience for future student-athletes.
"It was something that was self-driven because our kid was on the team, it's a non-revenue sport, and we saw a benefit to her and her team. But now that's kind of parlayed itself into something bigger," Suken Jogani said. "To see that benefit there for today and for the future for these kids, the career counseling, the various health support systems that they're going to have in place, is why I thought it was important to give to this specific cause."
As for Ellie's experience as a student-athlete and beyond, she capped off her swimming career with a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard IM at the 2020 CAA Championships, and secured a job with Bank of America's private wealth management group in Boston.
"When we introduced the locker donor campaign to our program and alumni, it was well-received from the get-go," Delaware field hockey head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. "With some of the funds generated from our locker drive, our program was able to issue all of the players a heartrate and GPS system, and purchase recovery equipment and tools. All this hardware and software has been instrumental in our players performing at a higher and more consistent level as well as speed up recovery for whatever is next in CAA and NCAA competition."
The locker-naming program showcases how Delaware athletics can impact so many people in different ways, and how those people can give back to the next generation of Blue Hens. To join these fellow Blue Hens in naming a locker in one of our team locker rooms, visit www.bluehens.com/namealocker for more information and to make your gift.
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