Rutgers Giving Day is a special time for the Scarlet Knights community to come together and support a cause, school, or program that feels like home. It is a day to celebrate Rutgers excellence from decades ago, from today, and for years to come. The generational impact Rutgers has had on the lives of its Scarlet Knights presents an opportunity for gratitude and generosity on Giving Day. 

Spanning generations and graduating nearly 40 years apart, two alumni and Rutgers Athletics Giving Day donors share a common thread through those years. Darryl Gurney (RC '78) and Matthew Peyrek (RBSNB '19) enjoyed college-defining moments through their support of Rutgers Athletics teams, and both embrace the Giving Day spirit of strength in numbers while giving to a variety of programs and initiatives through R Fund. 

Gurney gave to 10 different teams in 2021, including eight Olympic sports, along with gifts to the Big Ten Build and Big Ten Champions Fund. Gurney's yearly gifts and season ticket renewals at men's basketball and football reflect his love for Rutgers, which has become quite the family affair. 

"Rutgers has given me so much over the years," said Gurney, whose sports fandom also exists in the professional ranks. "I'm a fan of the Yankees and Giants, but I'll never be a part of those teams. Supporting Rutgers is a unique experience because I am a member. Rutgers is part of my life. It is more of a passion than a fanhood." 

Gurney's wife of 41 years, Susan, graduated from Rutgers Pharmacy School, and all three of their children graduated "On the Banks" – David, Daniel, and Rachel. The three grandchildren are already being raised with Scarlet in their blood. They have all inherited Darryl's self-assessed Rutgers sports addiction that started with his trip to Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia to follow the men's basketball team's 1976 undefeated run to the Final Four. 

The addiction never was cured. Gurney just got back from a 16-hour round trip to and from Dayton, Ohio for the Scarlet Knights' date at the First Four against Notre Dame. 

"We had a lot of time to talk in the car," Gurney said. "Especially out on the road, we see some of the facilities and campuses that Rutgers needs to compete in the Big Ten. Years ago, I made a promise to give when and where I could. If most of Rutgers' 500,000 living alumni had the same mindset and gave $100, we would close that gap considerably while also helping the athletic department support itself and its student-athletes." 

Gurney and his family honored their kids' participation in sports with corresponding gifts to the Rutgers baseball, lacrosse, and soccer teams on Giving Day. The Gurney's had neighbors involved in gymnastics and the dance team, so they spread some Giving Day love to those programs, as well.

"We see the effort these Olympic sports teams and spirit programs put in," Gurney said. "The funding is hard to come by when you're not a money-making program, but they work just as hard. We are so grateful for that effort and Giving Day is a great time to show that." 

Gurney, sharing a love of Rutgers through the generations of his own family, hopes the giving mindset is contagious to the new generation of Rutgers alumni, as well as its growing fanbase in New Jersey and beyond. One of these young alumni shared a similar experience being on the frontlines of Scarlet Knight fandom and is already giving back. 

Matthew Peyrek was involved with the start of the Riot Squad, Rutgers Athletics' deafening student section heard from far and wide from the bleachers in Jersey Mike's Arena and SHI Stadium, among other campus facilities. He stormed the court after Rutgers defeated No. 15 Seton Hall in the Garden State Hardwood Classic in 2017, he's been seen on TV in the front row of the student section, and he's worked as a marketing intern for the athletic department. 

He still had plenty of support left after screaming his lungs out in the student section for four years. 

"The Riot Squad was one of my favorite organizations to be a part of outside academics in business school," Peyrek said. "You're the face of the fans. You make amazing friends. And you're the last to leave after we sing the alma mater."

Peyrek still has not left. He kept up that spirit with his gifts during 2021 Giving Day to the spirit program, student-athlete development (Scarlet Knights for Life), the Big Ten Build, and the Big Ten Champions Fund. Peyrek and the Riot Squad shared a space with the spirit team at Jersey Mike's Arena and behind the south endzone of SHI Stadium, so he wanted to keep his support with the lifeblood of Rutgers Athletics gamedays. 

"So many people donate to the big-time programs, but what about the people behind the scenes?" Peyrek said. "They are best in the country at what they do. It is amazing to support that kind of program with a national championship caliber." 

Peyrek's gift to Scarlet Knights for Life melds his philanthropic and academic interests. The business school graduate is now a fulltime staff member at the school as a coordinator of student experience and engagement, working to support students in their academic and professional pursuits in business school. He sees the Scarlet Knights for Life department is undertaking a similar mission for student-athletes and chose to spread out his donations to assist this cause. He believes in the power of giving and the change it can make, so no matter how much, it was important to him to give back to the programs that gave him so much joy.

As for his Big Ten Build gift, it was the initiative's slogan of "All In" that not only inspired giving, but the diversity of programs to which he gave. Peyrek and his classmates saw an important transformation of Rutgers laying the foundation for the year-in and year-out competitive grit needed to thrive among the nation's best in the Big Ten Conference. His freshman year at Jersey Mike's Arena, he would arrive at game time and grab a front row seat with a few friends. His senior year? He still had his front row seats, but waited an hour outside in the elements and ran a wind sprint to the student section to secure them. 

"We were here as new standards were set," Peyrek said. "It us up to our generation to keep that going and to raise the bar. Pick up season tickets. Get involved any way you can. I hope more alumni realize it is not just about the big gifts where buildings are named after you. Donate when and where you can to the programs that matter to you."