PISCATAWAY, N.J. (August 12, 2019) – Rutgers Athletic Development (R Fund) and Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development Carly Northup announced today the launch of a revitalized fundraising campaign focused on growing the donor base in support of the Scarlet Knights' scholarships and operating budget.

The campaign, titled "The Bells Must Ring," is predicated on Rutgers Nation directly impacting student-athlete success "On the Banks" through strength in numbers. The campaign's focus will be increasing donor participation in support of athletic scholarships, the Big Ten Champions Fund, the Department of Leadership Development and Strategic Partnerships, and team-specific accounts. The goal will be to grow the total donor count to R Fund on an annual basis in support of Rutgers Athletics.

"The Bells Must Ring" captures the department and its supporters' shared goal of helping the Scarlet Knights ring the historic bells at Old Queens, a tradition reserved for celebrating the pinnacle of academic and athletic achievement at Rutgers. Most recently, Rutgers wrestling's Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano rang the bells after claiming the program's first two national championships

"Rutgers Nation makes those bells ring by building a championship culture," Northup said. "Every gift, of every amount, gets our student-athletes one step closer in their climb to the top. Just as we celebrate national championships, we will celebrate each gift that helps our Scarlet Knight student-athletes claim victory in academia, their professional paths and in the community."

R Fund's emphasis on donor participation mirrors Rutgers' recently released strategic vision, "The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence," in which growing resources is a primary goal in sustaining student-athlete, program and cultural excellence.

"With the tremendous support of the last three years to the Big Ten Build, we have some real momentum going," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "Now is a great time for everyone to get in the game to support our Scarlet Knight student-athletes. There is strength in numbers and with our alumni base there's no limit to what we can do together."

The Bells Must Ring campaign will be accompanied by a digital presence online and on social media, representing progress toward the goal of increasing the R Fund donor count and the impact each donor has on the academic and athletic success of Scarlet Knight student-athletes. Each person who joins or renews their support in the R Fund through The Bells Must Ring campaign will receive a special memento, signifying being a part of a larger community that each brings us one step closer toward ringing in another victory. Throughout the fiscal year, any donation of any size will count as a participating gift in support of student-athlete success.
 

For all Rutgers development news, visit rfund.scarletknights.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@R_Fund), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/SupportRFund).

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