When the Forever A Gull Challenge was created, alums of all sports had the chance to once again compete for the Blue and Green while representing their respective programs, albeit in a different way. Alums were charged with the responsibility of showing their dedication & lifelong commitment to the program by donating a gift of at least $25.00 to their current team. With overall alum support being up over 243% from the previous year, it is evident that alums from all sports still have an unwavering love and admiration for the uniforms they once wore and want to provide a sense of support and camaraderie for the current student-athletes and prospective players in the future.
The winners of the challenge, the Men's Ice Hockey team, took this challenge to heart and showed that even though they are a club sport at the current moment, the blue and green runs deeper than just the colors on the uniform; they are colors that you wear as a badge of honor for the rest of your life. With 2007 alum Ben Dodge leading the way, the hockey alums rallied together to stage an unbelievable comeback and win the inaugural Forever A Gull Challenge which awarded $5,000.00 to the current hockey team's account.
"Finding out about winning the Gull Challenge was quite a surprise for me," stated current head coach Mark O'Meara who just finished his third year at the helm. "Having only been here for a short time and having had limited interaction with the alumni, Ben Dodge has been a huge help and was the driving force for this win. Ben and his family usually have us back to their house after our alumni games and that keeps the guys in touch and allows us a place to get together with each other. All of the recognition should go to Ben, his family and the active alumni for this victory."
A pivotal part of the team in his years at Endicott, Dodge continues to operate in a leadership role for the program's alums and found himself spear heading this Challenge. "The whole movement started when Renee Fraker called the whole team to get interest going," said Dodge. "She got a few bites from the older guys and that laid a solid foundation to start from. We started an email chain going to get the words out with a list I had compiled and also from a list that Renee provided us. I started with one email that had everyone bcc'd and followed up a few weeks later with a note with everyone cc'd. We wound up having a chain of well over 200 emails going back and forth between alums. I took the list of 50-55 alumni and divided it into four groups randomly and asked three other alums to be in charge of a group. I think once we saw that we were making up ground on the men's volleyball team, our competitive nature really kicked in."
While asking alums for donations can sometimes be a put-off, the hockey alums embraced it. Dodge went on to say, "We would like to extend our gratitude to Renee Fraker and Brian Wylie for conceiving and running this challenge so smoothly. Renee was providing updates every step of the way. It was incredible to see each donation move the needle bit by bit. Overall this Challenge was an extremely positive experience for our club and we look forward to the next innovation to come out of the athletic department & institutional advancement."
Dodge, who currently manages the development of state renewable and biomass and geothermal grant programs for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center knows that the pride the alums have for their old uniforms is at the core of their winning effort. "We've got a pretty fantastic group of alumni and I think this achievement speaks to the kind of bonds created in the Endicott Hockey club. Move over, I think it speaks to the caliber of athletes and men the program attracts. We had a lot of participation from guys who only played for a year or two which I feel speaks volumes towards the bonds created on this team," stated Dodge. "Second, we wanted to let the current players know that there is an Endicott Hockey community out there beyond the walls of the locker room and rink. Hopefully it provides motivation for the current club to know that they are playing for a whole community beyond the glass. The fact that the hockey alums were the most involved percentage-wise also should speak volumes to recruits and their parents as they prepare to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives."
Outside of work, Dodge continues to play hockey while also participating in triathlons, taking adventures with his girlfriend and spending time with good friends. Ben is extremely excited to see how Endicott now offers an environmental science program as well. "I hope to see this program grow as science and environmental programs are now more important than ever. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Endicott Environmental Community as it grows and I also continue to be an alumni mentor at Endicott. With our alumni game coming up on September 14th, we are hoping to get the current team involved in some capacity. We hope to build these relationships as the season progresses and we are looking to catch up again with the team mid-season and beyond."
As for plans on what to do with the recent winnings, O'Meara realizes that the $5,000 will help the current program out immensely. "Since our team has a user fee, the money will come in handy towards helping with the equipment costs and any other expenses the team will incur. I would like to thank all of the alumni that supported the Challenge and continue to support our program. It just goes to show that you really are a Gull Forever."
