Inaugural RB4L Support Your Sport Challenge set for Nov. 30 - Dec. 4

Illinois State Athletics will host the inaugural RB4L (Redbird For Life) Support Your Sport Challenge on Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4, 2020. The challenge is an effort to increase participation by former student-athletes to support their teams at Illinois State University. Gifts will go directly to the team of their choice and is tax deductible. The team with the highest percentage of athletics alumni who make a gift during the week-long campaign will receive an additional $1,000 cash prize for their team. Second place will receive an additional $500 cash prize. 

Former Redbird athletes are encouraged to make a gift of any size during the RB4L Support Your Sport Challenge and an individual giving page for each sport has been created at https://hatch.illinoisstate.edu/g/supportyoursport.  Donations will also be accepted over the phone at 309-438-5455 and by mail to Illinois State Athletics, RB4L Support Your Sport Challenge, Campus Box 2660, Normal, IL 61790-2660. In the memo, please write the name of the sport you wish to support. No in-person gifts will be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. See the RB4L Support Your Sport website for additional details.

Gifts will be used by teams to:

Baseball - Purchase baseball analytics technology that precisely measures the location, trajectory and spin rate of hit and pitched baseballs
Men's Basketball - Provide enhancements above and beyond the team's normal operating budget. Gifts assist with the following areas: recruiting, equipment, foreign trips, additional meals, championship rings, and supplemental needs of the men's basketball program
Women's Basketball – Fund international trips, extra meals and nutrition supplements and other program enhancements
Football – Provide enhancements above and beyond the team's normal operating budget
Men's Golf - Enhance tournament resources and schedule; maintain and expand the swing tournament technology available to players in the golf simulation room
Women's Golf - Expand the swing improvement technology currently available in the golf simulation room; additional funds will be used to enhance tournament schedule
Gymnastics – Purchase travel gear, four new panel mats, two new spotting blocks and an air-filled tumbling track
Soccer – Create opportunities to enhance facilities, equipment and the overall student-athlete experience
Softball – Assist with expenses for travel, equipment, summer school and foreign travel
Swimming & Diving -  Gifts will be used for a new scoreboard, diving board and to supplement team expenses for equipment, meals and travel expenses.  For example: $100 = one freshman equipment bag, $250 = one racing suite, $400 = team meal. 
Men's Tennis - Purchase a new tennis stringing machine and help supplement future travel for training trips where expenses can cost up to $1,100 per athlete 
Women's Tennis - Purchase a new tennis stringing machine and help supplement future travel for training trips where expenses can cost up to $1,100 per athlete 
Track & Field/Cross Country - Purchase extra field event equipment, practice gear and additional competition and training shoes for their large team
Volleyball - Bolster the Student-Athlete experience and assure the legacy of the Volleyball program

If you have any questions, please contact Director of RB4L Marianne Riddell at mkridde@ilstu.edu or 309-438-5455. 

For all the latest on the RB4L Support Your Sport Challenge, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow their social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.