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RICHMOND - Mike Gillian, the head men's basketball coach at Longwood, used an analogy he is very familiar with to describe the first-ever Longwood Athletics Benefit Celebration (LABC) held Oct. 19 at The Omni Richmond Hotel.
“It is like momentum is on your side; you have scored six points in a row and you don't want to see it end,” said Gillian, the Lancers' basketball coach since 2003. “The night was awesome. The turnout was great. The energy was great. It was fantastic.”
The event attracted more than 300 people from the Longwood family, and raised more than $50,000, according to organizer
Scott Bacon, the Assistant Athletics Director for Development for the Lancers and the Executive Director of the Lancer Club Advisory Board.
The LABC, presented by the Lancer Club, came on the heels of Longwood joining the Division I Big South Conference on July 1, 2012. The LABC generated support for Longwood student-athletes and included a silent auction, a live auction, music from the Longwood Jazz Combo and dancing.
“There was a lot of goodwill and cheer,” said
Troy Austin, the Longwood Director of Athletics. “People were excited about the event and had a good time and are already looking forward to the next event.”
Among the top-selling items was time at a beach condo for $1700 and a Longwood scooter that went for $1600. A golf package with Dr. Barbara Smith, the legendary former Longwood coach, went for $400, according to Bacon, who added “Dr. Smith was also the largest sponsor for the event, generously contributing $5,000 to sponsor the drinks for the evening.” A baseball signed by former Lancers' star and major league veteran Michael Tucker went for $200, while a baseball signed by Mark Montgomery, a former Longwood pitcher and promising Yankees' prospect, went for $65.
“I felt fantastic about how the event went,” said Bacon, who is also the radio voice of the Lancers. “We did not know what to expect because it was the first time we had done anything along these lines. In my conversations with other schools that have done similar events, they stressed to be realistic with our expectations. So we were. This blew away what we had originally set as our goals.
“This was a positive event for us in so many ways, such as marketing, public relations and re-engaging with alumni. It shows how everyone in the Longwood family is quick to support athletics and the university,” Bacon added.
Among those former Longwood athletes in attendance was former Longwood basketball standout Colin Ducharme, the 2001 Verizon/NABC NCAA Division II National Player of the Year and a Tidewater resident. Springfield resident Cassie Ensley Storer, a former women's basketball player, also attended along with her husband, Shane, another Longwood graduate. Former men's soccer standout Shane Johnson, who recently completed his first year and just signed a multi-year contract with the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Pro Division, was in attendance as well. He provided a signed jersey for the LABC.
Among special guests in attendance was Marge Connelly, the Interim President of Longwood. The auctioneer was Wayne Covil, a senior reporter for CBS-6 WTVR in Richmond.
The LABC committee included Austin, Bacon,
Whitney Curtis, Leigh Farmer, Brandi Gulgas, Kristen Hark, Chad Knowles ('94), Leah Payne ('90), Patricia Ramsey ('69), Stu Smith, Eric Stoller and David Whaley. The lead sponsors for the event were ARAMARK, Barnes & Noble at Longwood University, Real Living Cornerstone, owner Navona Hart and The Farmer Group of Scott & Stringfellow.
“We were just overwhelmed with how well it did,” Bacon said. “It really goes to show how much passion there is for Longwood athletics and Longwood University, both on campus and in the Richmond area. Based on the incredible success of the evening, it is safe to say we want to have it again. It was one of the biggest events ever held off campus by Longwood.”
And coaches such as Gillian realize the LABC was just part of continued momentum in the athletic department.
“It is an indication of this whole transition to the Division I level and the move to the Big South,” said Gillian, whose team begins the season Nov. 9 at Marshall. “These are the type of events that we have talked about. It is another good indication that the excitement is growing and building.”
Editor's Note: Special consultant David Driver is a Virginia native and has covered college sports in the state for more than 20 years. He has been a staff writer for newspapers in Arlington, Springfield and Harrisonburg and has contributed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Washington Post, Stafford County Sun and The Potomac News in Woodbridge. He was also the first sports editor for the daily Baltimore Examiner. He will continue contributing special feature content to longwoodlancers.com throughout the upcoming 2012-13 academic year as well. A former Division III baseball player at Eastern Mennonite University, David can be reached at www.davidsdriver.com.
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