Raise Our Game

A brief thank you message from Lauren Packer Webster, director of athletics & recreation

Thanks to alumni, families, coaches, students, faculty, professional staff and friends of F&M, we successfully complete the 2024 Raise Our Game campaign.  Together we raised more $472,214 in support of Diplomat Athletics!

Your support demonstrates to our student-athletes and our coaching staff that the entire F&M community stands behind them and cheers them on to greater success.  

If you haven't yet made your gift or would like to increase your support for F&M's athletic programs, we encourage you to visit go.fandm.edu/give

Thank you for your generosity and your support!

$425,000+ from more than 1150 donors and still counting! 

Diplomat fans have once again shown up for student-athletes in huge numbers. Thank you! 

There are a few more hours left in October - plenty of time to finish the remaining challenges, boost your team on the leaderboard and support Diplomat Athletics!

It's not a trick - today is the final day of Raise Our Game! 

We're thankful for the alumni, students, families and fans who treated their favorite team by making a gift, sharing this campaign and supporting Diplomat Athletics.

If you haven't yet joined the list of supporters, there's still time to make your gift and help Diplomat Athletics reach even higher!

Amazing! We have met and surpassed the goal of $400,000. There are still two days left in Raise Our Game - let's make this an October to remember. How high can we go?!

A special shout out goes to our generous challenge sponsors, who collectively offered more than $90,000 in match and challenge funds. Thank you!

💙Al Ingraham '72
🤍Dr. Bob '67 and Carol Falk
💙Carl Becker '87, P'16, P'17
🤍Catherine Jasons '76
💙Cathy Blaney P'24, Mike Petralia P'24 and Hope Petralia '24
🤍Cheryl and Fred Scarboro P'26
💙Holly Bamford '93 and Shannon Carroll '94
🤍Jenny Dubow '04
💙John Porges '90
🤍King Knox '65
💙Mike Dohrmann '12 and Eleanna Antoniou '12
🤍Ron Nahass '08
💙Anonymous Donors (2)

Wow! Diplomat fans are incredible. Thanks to the 1,000+ alumni, students, families and fans who have supported Raise Our Game so far. Less than $10,000 to go until we hit our goal!

Leaderboard
Baseball and Football are battling for the top spot on the leaderboard, with Men's Basketball in a close third. Make your gift now to boost your team in the rankings!

Challenges & Matches
There are still challenge and match funds available for:

🥽Men's Swimming 
🥽Women's Swimming
👟Women's Track & Field


Goals Met
Congratulations to the following teams for meeting their goals:

⚾Baseball
🏀Men's Basketball
🏀Women's Basketball
🏑Field Hockey
⛳Women's Golf
🚣‍♀️Women's Rowing
⚽Men's Soccer
⚽Women's Soccer
🏅Women's Squash
🎾Men's Tennis

We are more than 90% of the way toward reaching our goal! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to Raise Our Game so far. If you haven't yet made your gift, now is the time! 

We have reached 75% of our $400,000 goal. One more week to cross the finish line!

“Playing squash for F&M was one of the most memorable athletic experiences of my life. Our 1987 team finished #2 in the country and beat everyone except Harvard. Playing for F&M taught me that anything is possible when the right leadership and vision is in place. F&M’s student-athlete culture is special.”

“As a student-athlete at F&M, I was afforded unique opportunities to challenge myself, both inside and outside the classroom, while providing me with a foundation of leadership and brotherhood that allowed me to form some of the strongest and most meaningful relationships I've ever made. Through my experiences at F&M, I learned the importance of initiative and teamwork, which allowed me to meaningfully contribute within teams, both as an F&M student and now in my professional career. I am grateful for my undergraduate experience, as I continue to apply so many of the valuable lessons learned while representing F&M, originally on the football field and now far beyond.”

“Thinking back to my time as a rower, I reflect on the lessons of teamwork and trust so that the sum of the parts can be greater than the whole. This has been an invaluable lesson personally, professionally and as a father. Remember, every stroke is a choice.”

“My time as a student-athlete has helped me in innumerable ways. It has enhanced my leading abilities, and I find that my work ethic surpasses many of my colleagues. That was a huge attribute during my graduate program specifically and continues to benefit me recently as a new mom returning from maternity leave. As student-athletes, our tolerance for adversity is higher – we take on obstacles when others get stuck, and we know how to be effective teammates. We’re able to communicate well and are willing to do what needs to be done to accomplish a goal (even if it’s not fun or pretty sometimes). We learned and practiced respect and accountability. Because of my student-athlete experience, I am able to navigate challenges when stress is high and a lot is at stake. Almost all of my professional roles have included and/or been because of some connection to F&M. And in turn, I try to provide career support and mentorship back to our current students and alumni any chance that I get.”

“While rowing at F&M, I experienced firsthand how crucial time management, dedication, and teamwork are to success. These lessons became invaluable when I started working as a paralegal, and continue to guide me as I pursue my legal education.”

"Being part of the F&M Volleyball team during my college years has affected me positively for years. It was never my intent to play in college, but a call from the coach weeks before my arrival in Lancaster saying he was really in need of some players convinced me to give it a try. Growing up in Wyoming, my first few days at F&M were overwhelming and the academic expectations were a little frightening. Arriving in Mayser for the first practice, I felt my confidence return as volleyball was something I could do well. Taking the risk to join the team left me with lifelong friendships and a love of volleyball that continues today."

“Looking back on it fifteen years after arriving on campus, being a part of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams was a truly formative part of my college experience. Participating in a three-season sport and competing year-round meant that time management was essential, and I'm proud of the fact that not only did I compete at the top level of a very competitive athletic conference, but I also thrived academically and in other extracurricular activities. Outside of college, what's great about running is that it's a sport you can truly take anywhere with you. My running kit often accompanies me to the office and when I travel for work. Going for a run always takes my mind off of what's going on day-to-day and for me, it's impossible for my mind not to wander back to my time at F&M when I'm out for a run.”

"Any opportunity throughout my career, I have made it a point when asked about my college experience, to let everyone know how impactful my time in Lancaster has been on my life and career. That impact begins with the incredible people I met there, many of whom remain some of my closest friends to this day. Teammates from Basketball & Baseball; my coaches; friends from my freshman year to my 5th year in the dorms; faculty; administrators; and fans throughout the area who followed and supported our team and my career, all helped to make my experience special. Being around some of the smartest people I knew, and being challenged by some incredibly creative professors, forced me to dig deeper than I ever thought I could academically, to keep up. And that gave me a level of confidence that is a big part of who I am to this day. And my athletics experience allowed me to develop and grow as a leader. Serving as a 3-year Captain of the Basketball team and a 2-year Baseball team Captain, put me in a position of setting an example for my teammates when it came to practice/workout habits, and game preparation/competing at the highest level regardless of the opponent. That for sure filtered into my 40+ year coaching career. I feel incredibly blessed to call F&M my alma mater."

“To get the most out of being a collegiate rower, I decided to let the values of discipline and sacrifice be the driving force behind my experience. The rigors of rowing demanded a standard of consistency from me, one I still strive to maintain in my professional and personal life. When I think of Diplomat Athletics, what comes to mind is a group of programs that never take the opportunity in front of them for granted. A set of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators that are committed to redefining what academic and athletic excellence means to them on a daily basis.”

“Being an athlete at F&M has profoundly shaped my life, teaching me essential skills that extend far beyond the track. Whether I was running with a relay team or competing in an individual event, I learned that success is rarely a solo journey. The bonds formed with my teammates created a support system that motivated me to push harder and strive for excellence. Those relationships quickly evolved into some of the most meaningful connections in my life. They have become close friends and a chosen family still to this day."

“Rowing at Franklin & Marshall was more than an extracurricular; it was the cornerstone of my time at F&M. Having never picked up an oar before college, joining the team was a leap into the unknown—a dive into uncharted waters both literally and figuratively. Those early mornings on the Susquehanna River showed me the value of dedication and perseverance, taught me to embrace the unknown and adapt quickly, and revealed that success is a blend of individual effort and collective harmony—as every member of the crew must move in perfect sync. These skills have served me well throughout my professional career and laid the foundation for my future endeavors.”

There is strength in numbers, and Raise Our Game is more than 500 donors strong. Thank you!

We're halfway through October and halfway to our goal of raising $400,000 in support for Diplomat Athletics. Thank you!

Raise Our Game has officially begun! The generosity of our match and challenge sponsors as well as those who made their gifts during early giving has helped us get off to a strong start. Thank you!