May 28, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – For the first time ever the Lobo Club Membership Drive topped the $3 million mark in total money raised. More than 100 volunteers pitched in to help raise cash pledges of $1,763,722.81, including $243,435.52 in new money, and gift-in-kind pledges of $1,296,180 to establish a new total raised record of $3,059,902.81. In addition, a record 2799 members were signed up during the Drive.
More than 100 guests, including Director of Athletics Rudy Davalos, Head Football Coach Rocky Long, Head Women’s Soccer Coach Kit Vela and Head Volleyball Coach Kelley Sliva-McKee, turned out to see Nestor Romero win top honors as the Most Valuable Veteran with $20,368 in new money raised, Carl and Marie Osborn recognized as the Andy Lujan/Most Valuable Rookie and Yvonne Moise, who recruited 258 members and raised a total of $118,228.50, honored as the Lobo Spirit Award winner. Also recognized were the top eight producers, the All-Americans, John Brooks (4129,186.50), Moise, Lynn Mosher ($85,521.50), Gordon Noonan ($80,195.50), Rudy Diaz ($70,170), Bill Duffey (52,776), Gene Ayala ($39,985) and Michael Fietz ($37,645) as well as Membership Drive All-Stars. V.R. Woody Woodward was recognized for his 25 years of service in raising funds to support Lobo student-athletes.
Team captains for the 2004-05 Membership Drive were Ayala (Quality Paper & Plastics), Antoinette Baca (SBS Technologies), Bruce Creel (Prudential Financial), Diaz, Duffey (Albuquerque Public Schools), Fietz (Compass Bank), Sharon Knowles (Coldwell Banker), Linda Perkins (Bank of the West), Marv Schneider (Eddleman Industries), Susie Singer (Premmco), and Pam Duke and Kathy Wilson. This year’s Drive Leadership team included Chairman Don Duke, co-chair David Burt and Rookie Coordinator Moise.
The Lobo Club Membership Drive is a two-month volunteer led effort to raise money for athletic scholarships at the University of New Mexico. Volunteers participate in a variety of exclusive special events where they get to meet Lobo coaches and student-athletes and have the opportunity to earn great prizes and recognition for their efforts. If you would like to get involved in raising money for student-athlete scholarships at the University of New Mexico call David Sabolcik at 925-5014 or email him at sabolcik@unm.edu. To find out how you can support Lobo student-athletes with a tax deductible contribution please call David or log on to the Lobo Club’s website at http://www.unmloboclub.org.