From left to right: Mason Kaufman, executive director of Meals on Wheels; Anthony De La Fuente ’18 and Elijah Newsome ’18 from Falk College; Kate Veley, club advisor; and Mike Nortman from Meals on Wheels
The Sport Management (SPM) Club at Syracuse University raised $56,800 for Meals on Wheels Syracuse as a result of its 13th Annual Charity Sports Auction. During the SU men’s basketball game on Dec. 9, supporters placed bids on hundreds of items, including sports memorabilia, electronics and tickets to major sporting events. In conjunction with the live event, Steiner Sports also hosted an online auction, which showcased a number of premium items up for bid.
“As a result of months of hard work on behalf of nearly 100 Syracuse University students, we’ve attained our second highest total in the 13-year history of this event,” says Kate Veley, SPM club co-advisor. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the many products and services generously donated by the Syracuse community and later bid on by thousands of SU fans. Our thanks to everyone who, through their gifts, have allowed us to perpetuate this event in support of the community our students call home.”
“Meals on Wheels of Syracuse was so impressed by the outstanding job the Sport Management Club students and Falk College faculty did with the charity auction. We had a blast working with them,” says Meals on Wheels of Syracuse Executive Director Mason Kaufman. “The money they raised will begin an assistance fund for homebound seniors and disabled adults who would have fallen between the funding gaps for meals. Exceeding the original auction goal of 10,000 meals, the proceeds will provide more than 14,000 nourishing home delivered meals to people who otherwise would go hungry. I want to thank everyone who organized, assisted or supported the auction for sharing in the MOW mission.”
Meals on Wheels of Syracuse has been feeding our homebound neighbors since 1959. Its mission is to organize, plan and administer the service of delivering nutritious meals, nutrition education and resource assistance to people living in the community unable to do so for themselves. It provided more than 186,000 home delivered meals to 624 older and disabled adults in 2017.
The SPM Club is a student-run organization in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ Sport Management Department. Since its founding in 2005, the club has now raised over $412,000 for local charities. Previous beneficiaries of the club’s annual charity auction have included the Boys & Girls Clubs, Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY, the Central New York SPCA, the Upstate Cancer Center, Special Olympics New York, Food Bank of CNY, Make-A-Wish of CNY, the Salvation Army and McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center.
For more information on this annual event or to learn how you can help, please visit www.sucharitysportsauction.com.
