The Sport Management (SPM) Club raised $59,185 for at its 10th Annual Charity Sports Auction. During the SU men’s basketball game on Dec. 6, Make-A-Wish supporters placed bids on hundreds of items, including sports memorabilia, electronics and tickets to major sporting events. Following the silent auction, the club also hosted an online auction, in collaboration with Steiner Sports Memorabilia, which showcased a number of premium items up for bid. All proceeds from these efforts benefited Make-A-Wish.
From left, Will Pinckney; Brooke del Guercio, 2014 auction co-chair; Diane Kupperman, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Central New York; “Wish Child” Charlie Pinckney; Kate Veley, SPM Club advisor; and Chris Pinckney, Charlie’s dad and Make-A-Wish board member, at the check presentation during halftime of the SU vs. Miami men’s basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 24.
“As a result of months of hard work on behalf of nearly 100 ϲ students, at least five wishes will come true for seriously ill children in our community,” says Kate Veley, SPM club co-advisor. “We wanted our 10th year to be something truly special and we simply couldn’t be more proud of our students, or more thankful to Central New York and all the people who once again helped us meet and exceed our goals. Thanks to all of them, this student organization can proudly say they’ve raised over a quarter of a million dollars for the community they call home.”
The SPM Club is a student-run organization in the ’s Sport Management Department. Since its founding in 2005, the club has raised over a quarter of a million dollars for local charities. Previous beneficiaries of the club’s annual charity auction have included the Boys & Girls Clubs, American Diabetes Association, Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY, the Central New York SPCA, the Upstate Cancer Center, Special Olympics New York and Food Bank of CNY.
“Make-A-Wish® Central New York is beyond grateful for the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the students,” says Make-A-Wish® Central New York President and CEO Diane Kuppermann. “To be selected as the beneficiary of the charity auction was truly exciting and to be a part of the event was even more so. Congratulations to all on a job well done! Thank you for helping us make wishes come true!”
For more about the charity auction, or to find out how to contribute to next year’s event, visit for the most current and up to date information.
