DANBURY, Conn. - On February 26, WestConn Athletics once again held its annual Day of Giving, and surpassed previous years' records and this year's goals in both the number of donors and in total dollars. The Day of Giving, which was held concurrently and as a part of the Western Connecticut State University Wolves Day of Giving, allows for our current and future student-athletes to get the best experience possible while attending WestConn. The Day of Giving is an opportunity to show pride and support the Wolves teams. These resources allow WestConn Athletics to remain competitive in the Little East Conference and among the top NCAA Division III programs both regionally and nationally.

"I want to thank all of the donors and sponsors that made possible such an incredible Day of Giving for WestConn this year," said Athletic Director Lori Mazza. "The student-athletes and coaching staff of each intercollegiate team put in long hours of preparation to represent our school in the most positive way. Please know your contributions will play a vital role in achieving championship success. 

This year, the WestConn Athletics Day of Giving had a total of 1,805 donors and an all-time high of $230,668 raised, an increase of over $21,000 from 2025.  This included winning prizes from the university for first place in overall donors and money raised among the college departments.  Athletics also won prizes for the Faculty/Staff Challenge and the Alumni Challenge, while the baseball, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, and softball teams all won individual prizes.

"I could not be more grateful for the support we receive on Day of Giving," said WestConn Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Rachael Griffith  "The ability to use the funds to upgrade our equipment and outfit our players is a great way these donations have an immediate impact.  It allows our student-athletes to feel special and rewarded for their hard work. The donations also help support our annual spring break games, which serve as a powerful team-building experience."

WestConn's Department of Athletics supports more than 600 students who participate in intercollegiate athletics. Our mission is to support the development of the whole student through competitive and team-oriented opportunities.

"Thank you to all our families, friends, alumni and local businesses for your incredible generosity on Day of Giving," said Wolves Head Field Hockey Coach Dani McDonnell.  "We crushed our goal and raised over $13,000 which will help fund our trip to Ireland this August to train, play and travel.  We look forward to this amazing opportunity to experience Irish culture and to play our game vs international competition.  We will also be using the money raised to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for training, team bonding experiences, and team apparel.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

Just last week, WestConn men's basketball won the Little East Conference title and will play in the NCAA Tournament this weekend in Boston.  In the fall, the Wolves' men's and women's soccer team both reached the Little East Conference Finals, while the volleyball and field hockey teams both qualified for post-season. The Wolves men's ice hockey team completed its first-ever varsity season, while the Wolves' men's and lacrosse teams are looking to repeat as LEC Champions, and WestConn softball is hopeful to build on last year's deep post-season run this spring.

"Giving Day has long been an important day on the WestConn Athletics calendar and this year was no different," added Mazza. "The magic of Giving Day is that it unites our entire community, friends, and family around the goal of providing additional resources for our student-athletes and coaches."

"On behalf of the entire WestConn Wolves football team, I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support of our program," said Wolves junior Eamon Moran. "Your generosity means more to us than words can fully express.  Every time we step on the field, we carry the pride of knowing we have a community standing behind us.  Your support motivates us to work harder, compete with heart, and represent our program the right way. We are incredibly grateful for the belief you have in our team and in our future.  Thank you for investing in us and being part of our journey. We look forward to making you proud this season and beyond. Go Wolves!