The Sport Management Club at Syracuse University raised $59,500 for the Rescue Mission of Syracuse as a result of its 20th Annual Charity Sports Auction.
A check was presented to the Syracuse Rescue Mission on behalf of the Falk College Sport Management Club on Feb. 28 at the JMA Wireless Dome. From left, Falk College Assistant Professor Jeremy Losak, senior Adelaide Gilley and Rescue Mission Chief Executive Officer Dan Sieburg.
During the Syracuse men’s basketball game on Dec. 10, supporters purchased items and placed bids on sports memorabilia, electronics, jewelry, gift baskets, experiences, books, and trips, among other items. In addition to the in-person event, an online auction was held where online supporters placed bids on hundreds of items.
The Rescue Mission strives to end hunger and provide hope to those in need. Apex Entertainment served as the title sponsor for the 2024 auction.
Adelaide Gilley ’25 (sport analytics), Livia McQuade ’25 (sport management) and Tynan Weathers ’25 (sport management) served as co-chairs for the event.
The SPM Club is a student-run organization in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ Department of Sport Management. Since its founding in 2005, the club has raised more than $760,000 for local charities. Previous beneficiaries of the club’s annual charity auction include Tillie’s Touch, Boys & Girls Clubs, Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY, the Central New York SPCA, the Upstate Cancer Center, Special Olympics New York, Food Bank of CNY, the Salvation Army, American Diabetes Association, Make A Wish CNY, Meals on Wheels, the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center and Vera House.
“The students have outdone themselves with this year’s Charity Sports Auction, and I couldn’t be prouder,” says Jeremy Losak, sport analytics assistant professor who serves as the organization’s faculty advisor. “While the public sees the excitement of the live event on game day, the real work happens behind the scenes, with students spending months planning every detail.
“From marketing and sales to sponsorship activation, analytics, event management, and fundraising, this event gives students a hands-on opportunity to apply classroom knowledge while making a real impact on the greater Syracuse community,” Losak adds. “This is scholarship in action at its finest.”
The Sport Management Club meets weekly during the academic year. For more information about the annual Charity Auction, visit X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or the Charity Sports Auction website. To promote the auction, student organizers appeared on WSYR’s Bridge Street.
