ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — St. Bonaventure University Athletics celebrated a historic Athletics Giving Day in 2026 as alumni, parents, fans, friends, and former student-athletes came together to deliver the most successful campaign ever.
The 2026 Athletics Giving Day raised a record-breaking $749,290 from 1,988 donors, setting new all-time highs for both dollars raised and donor participation in support of Bonnies student-athletes.
The totals also represent remarkable momentum for the annual campaign. Since 2024, Athletics Giving Day support has nearly doubled in dollars raised, climbing from $392,142 to $749,290, while donor participation surged from 1,192 donors to 1,988 donors in just two years. The past two years have also seen student-athlete participation explode from 12 to 218 (out of approximately 393 total student-athletes).
"This record-setting effort is a tremendous testament to the pride and belief held in St. Bonaventure Athletics and the incredible support of our student-athletes by so many," said Bob Beretta, Vice President and Director of Athletics. "To have nearly 2,000 donors rally to support our student-athletes is incredibly powerful. We are grateful for everyone who participated in this amazing achievement by donating, sharing our message or supporting in some other manner as Bona Nation truly banded together to create history."
The campaign generated strong momentum across all constituencies. More than 250 gifts were inspired through 88 peer-to-peer advocates, while matches and challenges helped contribute more than $258,500 to the final total.
Bonnies alumni from every era stepped up in support of Athletics Giving Day, demonstrating the lifelong connection alumni have with St. Bonaventure. The strongest decades by participation were the 2020s with 142 gifts and the 1980s with 139 gifts, showing outstanding engagement from both recent graduates and longtime alumni. Additional strong support came from the 1990s (102 gifts), 1970s (92 gifts), and 2000s (76 gifts), proving that Bonnies pride spans generations and continues long after graduation.
"This success reflects the incredible generosity of our supporters in addition to months of planning and collaboration," said Curtis "CJ" Pierce, Director of Annual Giving. "Setting records for both dollars raised and donors, while nearly doubling our impact since 2024, is something our entire Bonnies community should be proud of."
Club Sports also continued their impressive momentum in just their second year as part of Athletics Giving Day. Support for Club Sports more than doubled, growing from approximately $30,000 in 2025 to nearly $70,000 this year, demonstrating increasing enthusiasm for expanded opportunities across the Bonnies student experience.
Funds raised through Athletics Giving Day will immediately begin supporting Bonnies student-athletes and enhancing the resources needed to compete for championships in the Atlantic 10 Conference and beyond.
