DeKALB, Ill. – With more than 500 gifts totaling more than $1 million in support of Northern Illinois University student-athletes, the 2021 Huskies Invest: A Week of Giving resulted in a record-breaking show of support that will impact NIU's 17 sports programs and 400 student-athletes today and in the future.
 
NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier announced that the 2021 Week of Giving, held October 25-29, concluded with 507 gifts totaling $1,013,725, smashing the published goal of $350,000.
 
"Thank you to all our alumni, fans, loyal supporters and members of the Huskie family, including our coaches and staff, who participated in Huskies Invest: A Week of Giving," Frazier said. "We initially set a goal of $350,000, but our supporters raised the bar to new heights in support of NIU student-athletes and programs. Whether you gave $10, $25,000, or in some cases this year, much more, we truly appreciate each and every one of you!
 
"Congratulations also go out to [Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and Revenue Generation] TJ Feuerbach and the staff of the Huskie Athletic Fund, as well as our senior staff, for their efforts in achieving this major milestone. To grow this initiative from raising just over $100,000 when we started in 2017 to more than one million dollars this year is phenomenal!"  
 
Frazier said that the success of Huskies Invest in 2021 has jump-started the department, including numerous sports specific facility projects which will have a major impact on moving those programs forward and enhancing the student-athlete experience. Donations supported a wide variety of efforts, from unrestricted support and sport-specific initiatives to several facility projects, including Walt & Janice Owens [Baseball] Park, the indoor tennis center, basketball locker rooms, softball dugouts and more. 
 
During the Week of Giving, donors, coaches and student-athletes were featured in a series of videos posted on the Huskie Athletic Fund, NIU Athletics' and sport specific social media accounts, and fans were able to check the website as the amount donated and number of donors kept climbing toward – and ultimately nearly tripling the $350,000 goal.  
 
While Huskies Invest: A Week of Giving is over for this year, the need for support remains, Frazier said.
 
"The results of this year's Huskies Invest shows the real passion and commitment to NIU Athletics, Huskie student-athletes and our sports programs here at home and across the country," Frazier said. "Now, we want to take that momentum from the Week of Giving and continue to move all of our initiatives forward so that we can continue to serve the university and our student-athletes today and in the future.  I'm incredibly appreciative of what we were able to accomplish this year, but we have to keep pushing to ensure we can continue to build on the great tradition of NIU Athletics."
 
To learn more about the Huskie Athletic Fund, additional ways to support NIU Athletics, go to HuskieAthleticFund.com or call the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
 
-- NIU --