PISCATAWAY (May 12, 2022) — Gary RC’74 and Barbara DC’76 Rodkin were honored as the recipients of the 2022 Scarlet Legacy Award at the seventh annual Scarlet Knight on the Banks event on Thursday, which took place both inside and adjacent to the brand new, state-of-the-art Rutgers University Athletics facility with their own names emboldened on the entrance, the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center. The Legacy Award is presented to supporters who have made a lifetime impact on Rutgers student-athletes through generosity, involvement, and commitment.
The annual Scarlet Knight on the Banks event is a signature event hosted by R Fund that honors Scarlet Society members and All-America level donors for their contributions and continued support for the student-athlete experience.
The Scarlet Knight on the Banks began with memorable welcome remarks from Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, followed by the Scarlet Knights’ Director of Athletics, Pat Hobbs.
The rest of the night was emceed by Rutgers Men’s Basketball Letterwinner Austin Johnson ’13, who also serves as the color commentator for the Scarlet Knights’ radio broadcasts. With over 300 Rutgers Athletics supporters, administrators, coaches, and student-athletes in attendance, Men’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Pikiell delivered a passionate keynote speech about the student-athlete experience at Rutgers, which set the tone for an exciting night of celebration for guests of honor, Gary and Barbara Rodkin.
The Rodkins have supported Rutgers Athletics in countless ways, including renovations to the football stadium, a significant contribution to the eventual construction of the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center and of course a major donation toward their own dedicated building, the Rodkin Academic Success Center. They are longtime football season ticket holders and members of the Provident Bank Stadium Club.
The Rodkins are woven into the Rutgers fabric, offering their generous support to initiatives in athletics and across the university. The Rodkin connection to Rutgers University runs deep with Gary earning his degree in 1974 from Rutgers College and Barbara earned her degree in 1976 from Douglass College.
The Scarlet Knight on the Banks also featured “Ralph’s Corner,” a student-athlete panel that was moderated by Men’s Basketball’s Ralph Gonzales ’22 and featured rising juniors Ryan Lasko (Baseball) and Allison Lowrey (Women’s Soccer) and rising senior Maggie Lamb (Field Hockey). Both Lowrey and Lamb helped their programs’ to their first-ever Big Ten Championships in the Fall.
Gallery: (7-14-2022) 2022 Scarlet Knight on the Banks
