Greetings from the Director of Athletics
Dear Blue Devil Family and Friends,
I invite you to enjoy the attached Annual Report for CCSU Athletics which highlights some of the most notable moments of the 2015-2016 school year and tells the compelling story of the exceptional young men and women in our program. I am in awe of what they accomplish on a daily basis and so very proud of how they represent us with positive energy, character and class.
On behalf of a grateful CCSU Athletics Family, I thank you for joining nearly 1,600 alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, friends and corporate partners who committed close to $ 800,000 for Blue Devil Athletics during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. This was a record setting year for us in both categories, resulting in Athletics accounting for nearly 35 % of all donors to CCSU this past year. Since 2010, your individual and collective generosity has resulted in a 295 % increase in annual donors, a 74 % increase in annual giving and an 84 % increase in corporate sponsorship support for our student-athletes and programs.
The chosen theme for Blue Devil Athletics this past year was # BeReady. It served as a daily reminder to our student-athletes and staff of our high expectations and as a guide to achieve our core objectives. The accomplishments of our student-athletes this year are testament not only to their character and skill but to the culture of excellence that we continue to foster as an athletics program. Among the many highlights from this past year were a record number of student-athletes on the Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll, three Northeast Conference team Championships and close to 3,000 hours of community service.
Our primary objective is clear: develop our student-athletes into champions; in the classroom, in competition, in the community and ultimately in life. They live it and prove it every day as they achieve and exceed our expectations. But their ability to excel correlates directly with the unwavering support from you, our Blue Devil family. While we continue to achieve unprecedented success across the board in each of the aforementioned key areas, I truly believe our best days are just ahead and within our grasp.
Your vested interest in our student-athletes has a significant impact in all facets of their educational experience. If you would like to help us get an early start on another record-breaking fundraising year for 2016-2017, please visit www. ccsubluedevils. com and click on the“ Giving” tab to donate online to the Blue Devil Pride Fund. Thank you again for your loyalty and your giving spirit. Go Blue Devils!
Sincerely,
Paul Schlickmann Director of Athletics
Hard Work- Commitment- Dedication- Determination- Passion- Pride – Family
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