Grand slam idea
Alumni
Every summer, the crack of a bat and the cheer of fans herald more than baseball. They signal the coming together of Spiders at ballparks across the country.
“We planned many alumni outings to baseball games this year,” said Maggie Johnson, an associate director in Alumni Engagement.
The Alumni Engagement team initially organized alumni outings to baseball games based on requests from local volunteers. “Their popularity quickly prompted us to expand these events to all regions with MLB and minor league teams,” Johnson said.
“Spiders love baseball,” Nick Minnix, an associate director in Alumni Engagement said. “These are some of our most popular events.”
Whenever possible, Alumni Engagement hosts pre-game happy hours and other social gatherings to offer alumni a chance to connect beyond just attending the games. “These events have become an annual tradition in many cities, providing a regular opportunity for alumni to forge local connections and to support their favorite sports teams,” Johnson said.
Spiders cheered for MLB teams in Chicago (Cubs), New York (Yankees), Pittsburgh (Pirates), Seattle (Mariners), Baltimore (Orioles), Dallas (Texas Rangers), San Francisco (Giants), and Washington, D.C. (Nationals).
They gathered in minor league parks in Virginia, including in Richmond, Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg, and Roanoke. In North Carolina they attended games in Charlotte and Durham.
The goal in Seattle was a fun, end-of-summer event for alumni while cheering for the Mariners. “I was able to catch up with fellow Spiders that I’ve gotten to know over the years at alumni events, as well as those that are brand new to Seattle,” said Catherine Romberger, a 2014 graduate and regional alumni volunteer. “I enjoyed meeting other alumni who were also science majors at Richmond and sharing memories from our time in Gottwald.”
The gathering also provides an opportunity to welcome new Spiders. “I want to let them know they’re part of a community of alumni, even far away from Richmond,” she said.
“The initiative is part of our broader strategy to offer a variety of opportunities and diverse programming for alumni to stay connected to each other and UR,” Johnson said.