ELON, N.C. – The third annual The Night of the Phoenix, held Friday, February 19 in Alumni Gymnasium on Elon's campus, set an event record, raising over $87,000 for student-athlete scholarships. Through three years of existence, The Night of the Phoenix has now raised over $211,000 in annual scholarship support for the Phoenix Club. The event is coordinated by the Phoenix Club Advisory Board with assistance from the Department of Athletics.
See the night in pictures
“The monies raised at The Night of the Phoenix provide scholarships which will enable our athletes to achieve the same level of excellence on the playing field as they have in the classroom,” said Advisory Board Chair Amy Hendrickson. “It is exciting to be a part of the rising Phoenix program.“
The night featured a social hour while attendees bid on over 170 outstanding silent auction items. Items included a week on a private yacht in the Caribbean, many beach and mountain rental properties, a Nick Saban autographed football, furniture, jewelry and one-of-a-kind experiences with the Phoenix teams. The auction alone raised over $50,000. The evening, emceed by Advisory Board member Rich Brenner, continued with dinner before Director of Athletics Dave Blank stepped on stage for some welcoming comments.
Blank introduced attendees to five student-athletes who spoke to the crowd about the importance of supporting Elon's scholarship efforts. Volleyball's Lizzie West, Matt Richardson of cross country, soccer's Molly Calpin, baseball's Mike Mellilo and Terrell Hudgins of the football squad each asked fans to 'Stand Up for the Phoenix' and invest in student-athletes by making a donation to the Phoenix Club. The 'Stand Up for the Phoenix' portion of the night raised over $12,000.
The night continued with entertainment provided by magician and motivational speaker Giovanni Livera. Livera has worked with over half of the Fortune 500 companies, is an International Brotherhood of Magician’s World Champion and has recently been inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame. He is the author of three books including his latest work titled, "Live a Thousand Years, Have the Time of Your Life." Livera performed mind reading tricks, card tricks and talked about the importance of believing "anything is possible."
“The success of The Night of the Phoenix continues to exceed the expectations of the Phoenix Club Advisory Board. The support for this event by alumni and friends of the university has been phenomenal,” said Mike Cross, Vice Chair for Events. “The Night of the Phoenix is a unique event that is quickly becoming an Elon tradition. We are already looking forward to planning for 2011.”
To make a donation to the Phoenix Club visit the Phoenix Club web page and make your gift today! The Phoenix Club fiscal year ends May 31, 2010.
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