Paw Prints E-Newsletter: Volume 65

5/20/2021 3:20:00 PM

From the Desk of the Director of Athletics...

To Our Daemen Wildcats Family:

Spring has officially sprung here in Western New York and we are in the process of wrapping up the craziest and toughest year of our professional lives. We were able to celebrate the many achievements of our teams and student-athletes with two events this past weekend - the Wildcat Night of Honors and the Graduating Student-Athlete & Varsity Letter Award Reception. It was a wonderful way to recognize the resiliency that everyone in our division demonstrated this academic year. Congratulations to the many award recipients.

While we put the finishing touches on 2020-21 (with the hopes of never living through a year like this again), we are optimistic about what the future holds. I am happy to report that we are nearing a 100% vaccination rate among the coaches, staff and administrators in our division. Our student-athletes are also doing their part with 70% of them receiving at least one vaccine dose thus far. As our state begins to soften certain restrictions, it's becoming easier to envision what our games and events will look like come the fall. Vaccinations remain our best path to normalcy, and they allow us to anticipate a less restrictive experience for student-athletes and fans alike. We want nothing more than parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and alumni to fill the bleachers in support of our Wildcats. We're not there yet, but as the vaccination rate continues to climb, I'm confident that it's possible.

I'd be remiss if I didn't offer one more thank you to our supporters who chose to invest in The Wildcat Way by making a contribution on Daemen Day of Giving last month. It was the most successful giving day yet, both for us in Athletics as well as college-wide. We received more than 550 gifts totaling nearly $28,000 - a 150% increase from our 2019 giving day. This generosity will make a great impact on our continued efforts to enhance student-athlete support services, facilities and scholarships.

If you're looking for another opportunity to make an impact on Western New York's Division II Team, please consider joining us for the Ninth Annual Wildcat Golf Classic at beautiful Diamond Hawk Golf Club on Thursday, August 5. This event has become a staple of our summer schedule and one that we're looking forward to perhaps now more than ever. The pandemic has kept us isolated from so many people that support us. It's going to be such a blast to seeing those folks and making those connections again. It should be a great day on a great golf course in support of a great team!

In closing, I just want to thank our coaches, staff and administrators who have gone above and beyond to make this year a success despite the many challenges and obstacles that stood in the way. Daemen's greatest resource continues to be the people in our community, and that's never been more evident that throughout the last 14 months.

Thank you for this opportunity to keep you informed about our program. Remember to BE FIERCE and GO WILDCATS!

Sincerely,

Traci Murphy
Director of Athletics

Learn more about the Ninth Annual Wildcat Golf Classic at daemenwildcats.com/wildcatgolfclassic

The Daemen men's & women's volleyball teams both recently introduced new Team IMPACT children who have joined the program. Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses by matching them with college athletic teams. Click the images above for more information on each child and their new team.