BALTIMORE- Johns Hopkins University has announced the launching of a capital campaign today to support the Blue Jay football program by improving team facilities in preparation for the 2012 season.
Director of Athletics Tom Calder said the $750,000 campaign initiative is the largest fundraising campaign in program history, geared exclusively to the team's non-playing facilities including locker rooms, coaches' offices, and meeting spaces. Calder and head coach Jim Margraff said they are working closely with Blue Jays Unlimited, the official fundraising arm of Hopkins Athletics, on the campaign.
Officials said the team has utilized a single undersized locker room for more than 20 years but will soon have two adjacent locker rooms that include space for team, unit, and position meetings with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities to view game, opponent, and practice film, in addition to providing each player with a custom wooden locker. According to directors, coaching staff will relocate to a dedicated office suite on Newton White Athletic Center's main level at the end of the 2012 season with access to a digital media center, a next-door multi-purpose conference room, and individual offices for every full-time coaching staff member.
Under Margraff's guidance, Johns Hopkins posted a 10-1 record, won its third straight Centennial Conference title, and finished the season ranked 19th in the AFCA Division III Poll in 2011. The Centennial title was the seventh for Johns Hopkins since 2002, while the Blue Jays made their third trip to the NCAA Playoffs since 2005. Johns Hopkins will carry a 14-game regular season winning streak into the 2012 season and will open the season at home for the first time since 2008 when Randolph-Macon visits Homewood Field on Saturday, Sept. 1.
For more information about the project and to learn more about making your gift today, view the campaign brochure at www.hopkinssports.com.
Anyone interested in supporting the initiative, including naming opportunities and support levels, can contact Associate Director of Development for Athletics Grant Kelly at (410) 516-4096 or gkelly11@jhu.edu.
