The Vandal Scholarship Fund (VSF) raises money to give University of Idaho athletes a scholarship.
Most of the events VSF hosts are focused on bringing in money, but the Vandal Athlete Reunion this weekend is different, said Associate Director of Development for VSF Samantha Parrott.
“Really, we’re not in it to make a profit or anything, we just want to break-even. But we want to have a really great experience for our former student athletes to come back and reconnect with teammates and fellow alumni and friends,” Parrott said.
The weekend has several events to engage former athletes, Parrott said. After the Silver and Gold football game Friday, the Idaho coaching staff will talk candidly to attendees in the Litehouse Center. A tour of the newly renovated weight room is at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and a presentation by Athletic Director Rob Spear on the Idaho Arena project. Current and former players are invited to play at noon in the Vandal Soccer Alumni Game at noon and at 1:30 p.m. in the Vandal Volleyball Alumni Game.
Emily Adams is the development coordinator for internal operations at VSF, and said she is heavily involved in organizing the event. She said one of the weekend’s primary events is the dinner auction at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Best Western Inn. Tickets are $50 and all the funds go to VSF. Adams said it will be tailgate themed, featuring tailgate food and games like cornhole, with the possibility of competing against current athletes.
“There’s still a live and silent auction but it will be a little more fun and casual and family-oriented,” Adams said.
Adams said things like the weight room tour help former athletes engage with and stay up to date on what the university is doing.
“I really want to say for a majority of student athletes, they connect to the weight room because they spend so much time in there, and that’s part of the training and getting better and being better, and being really good performing student athletes,” Adams said.
The reunion was mostly Spear’s idea, Adams said. She said he wanted to change up their usual spring fundraising dinner auction and have more former athletes engage with the university.
“It would be successful getting a good amount of student athletes back that seem to be excited and want to know what’s going and want to get back engaged with athletics,” Adams said.
Adams said VSF gives opportunities for people to come to school and they are looking to increase donations from former Vandal athletes.
“We’re trying to change the culture and trying to get them to invest and give back to the Vandal Scholarship Fund, because that’s how their opportunity here was made,” Adams said.
Parrot said she loves working for the VSF.
“I really get to see the great side of all our Vandals giving back, and they’re giving back to student athletes, so they can go on and fulfill their dreams on the court, but also in the classroom and walk away with a degree and hopefully they’ll be successful in life,” she said.
Jack Olson can be reached at [email protected]