NEW ORLEANS – As Green Wave teams continue to bring home spring championships and the top-ranked Tulane baseball team gears up for a postseason run, Tulane Athletics is also entering the home stretch of its annual fundraising effort. This year, on behalf of all the Tulane student-athletes on all 16 teams, the Tulane Athletics Fund is on a “Drive for $2.5” – $2.5 million, that is.

After raising a record $2.065 million a year ago to record its fourth-straight record-setting fundraising total, Tulane’s 2005 goal is by far its most ambitious ever. To reach the goal, the Green Wave is counting on not only a 100 percent renewal rate from the 1,969 donors who supported TAF’s annual fund last year, but also a healthy increase in number of donors and in the number of donors who increase their gifts.

“The Tulane Athletics Fund annual fund provides the backbone of support for our program and benefits all of our student-athletes and sports programs,” said Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson. “Our teams have certainly been getting the job done on the fields of play this spring, now it’s up to us to ensure that they receive the support they deserve by meeting this $2.5 million goal.”

At the heart of the “Drive for $2.5” is the Spring Tour, Tulane’s annual outreach effort where coaches and staff attend events across the state and around the country, meeting personally with Green Wave supporters and alumni. These grassroots events bring the stories of Tulane student-athletes directly to Green Wave donors through the Tulane coaches and athletics staff. The staff of the Tulane Athletics Fund is especially grateful to those supporters who host events in their areas, without whom the Spring Tour could not occur.

According to Tulane Associate Athletic Director Scott Sidwell, the 2005 Spring Drive will focus on not only the Spring Tour, but also renewals and the continuing search for new donors using programs like the successful “Two for Tulane” initiative, whereby current TAF members are invited to refer new donors to the Tulane staff. In addition, anyone who has supported Green Wave student-athletes through TAF in the last few years and who has not yet renewed their gift for this year, will be contacted via mail, e-mail and telephone over the next few weeks. A new brochure highlighting Tulane’s latest successes, as well as a new e-mail solicitation piece, are currently in development and will hit mailboxes later this month. In addition, supporters can go on line to www.TulaneGreenWave.com and click the “Drive for $2.5” banner at the top to go directly to the on-line giving link.

“We have a great plan in place for the 2005 Spring Drive with a lot of events and outreach efforts, using e-mail, direct mail and the telephone,” Sidwell said. “While fundraising is a year round priority, it really takes center stage during the Spring Drive. We’re counting on all of our supporters – the ones who have helped us in the past and our new friends – to help us grow our fan base and meet the goals that have been set as part of the Perpetual Wave Campaign.”