Hey all, shared this update this morning with all of our supporters that I send as part of a monthly newsletter, but thought would make it visible on the message board as well to let you all know the impact We Will has had in hopes it may spread the word a bit. Thank you for reading!
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Wanted to send you a quick note during this Holiday season to update you on our activities with the We Will Collective.
We have had tremendous growth in the past several weeks and first and foremost wanted to thank each of you for your support and advocacy of We Will. It has certainly been an interesting time in College Athletics and you all have stepped to the plate to help Iowa State as we navigate the changing climate.
As of this morning, through both the non-profit We Will Collective and membership service We Will Club, there have been nearly 1,300 Cyclones contribute to support Iowa State student-athletes through these efforts. You all have made a great impact on our mission to support and keep those that choose to be Cyclones. In the past several weeks we have been able to support the following Cyclones:
Football: TJ Tampa, Beau Freyler, Myles Purchase, DeShawn Hanika, Jaylin Noel, Hunter Dekkers, Gerry Vaughn, Jeremiah Cooper, Dimitri Stanley, Domonique Orange, Isaiah Lee
Basketball: Tamin Lipsey, Robert Jones
Women’s Basketball: Ashley Joens, Lexi Donarski, Emily Ryan, Nyamer Diew
This is in addition to the work from this Summer and early Fall, which supported the entire men’s basketball team as well as Cyclone Football seniors O’Rien Vance, Will McDonald, Xavier Hutchinson and Anthony Johnson.
Thanks to the support of Anthony Johnson, his family was able to join him at a couple of games in Ames this Fall. They had never been able to visit Ames before. Many of you may not know, but Johnson grew up in a motel in St. Petersburg, Florida with eight people and two beds. Last week he became the first of his family to graduate from college. Here is what Anthony said at the Jack Trice sculpture dedication in November that resonates with our mission to support the Cyclones.
"I faced many challenges but I prevailed because I understood that my power resided in my response. Jack Trice is the reason why I want to be the best role model I can be for my nephews and nieces. Jack Trice taught me no matter the obstacles you face, how much the odds are against you, you do it with your chin up and chest out," Johnson said.
"This is not just a statue. This is not just a logo. This is something that we truly believe in and live by on a daily basis."
Cyclone student-athletes Domonique Orange, Gerry Vaughn, Jeremiah Cooper and Gabe Kalscheur recently helped one of our great partners YSS (Youth and Shelter Services) and their adopt-a-family drive. The director of YSS let me know that the guys all stayed two hours after their scheduled shift to interact with the young people and went above and beyond in what they were asked. The director also shared that a couple of the guys learned how to wrap presents for the first time!
I should note that Gabe Kalscheur completely volunteered his time and has received no compensation for dozens of additional hours he has spent helping YSS over the Fall.
We hope we have done our best to hold off some of the larger Football powers who had interest in many Cyclones this off-season. Credit to Coach Campbell, his assistants, and the entire Iowa State Athletic Department’s culture as there were a few offers to our guys that we would not have been able to compete with, but these Cyclones are a special group and truly want to be in Ames and represent us. NIL is just a part of the entire equation and I’ve never been more optimistic that Iowa State will be able to continue its success in this new world. Your support of We Will, but more importantly of being the best fan-base in the country and being loyal, forever, true and showing up time and time again are invaluable.
As you meet with family and friends this Holiday season, hopefully you can share the positive impact NIL is having at Iowa State and encourage them to support as well. A friendly reminder to look into your work corporate matching programs as this is often a great way to maximize impact. We are a tax deductible, 501c3 organization, so please consider We Will in any end-of-year charitable giving as well. It takes all of us and everything adds up.
Thank you again for your support, it is having a tremendous impact and the best times are ahead. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you and please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. Go Cyclones!
Sincerely,
Brent Blum
, I have never coached a minute of D1 ball. For those of you better able to assess, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on what we see from young Mr. Watson at this point. Thx!
cyclones.com
