Alumni Association News

• Alumni Celebrate the 1,000th Birthday of St. Edward
  In October, the Alumni Association celebrated the 1,000th birthday of St. Edward, Confessor and King, who is the university’s patron saint. Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC, ’62, executive director of the Holy Cross Institute, led a group of 10 alumni and guests on a trip to London to celebrate the event. The group’s agenda included a special exhibition at Westminster Abbey, a conference on St. Edward at King’s College–London and a day trip to Canterbury.

  Closer to home, alumni from across the country joined students, faculty and staff in a Community Service Pledge to perform 1,000 hours of service projects to honor St. Edward. Projects included Founder’s Day service opportunities to volunteer at Blunn Creek in memory of Brother Daniel Lynch, CSC, at Caritas of Austin in memory of Brother William Dunn, CSC, and at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center honoring the spirit of Holy Cross founder Father Basil Moreau.

  The service project carried out farthest from the hilltop was that of Nancy Koughan, ’85, of Decatur, Ga. She contributed four hours of service at Hands On Atlanta. In total, alumni, students, faculty and staff more than tripled the goal of 1,000 hours of service — the final tally was more than 3,500.

• Take Me Out to the Ballgame ...
  This summer and fall, alumni around the country reunited at Alumni Night at the Ballpark events. In Austin, more than 200 people met at The Dell Diamond in July to watch the Round Rock Express defeat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and feast on an all-American ballpark dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers. Washington, D.C., alumni cheered for the Washington Nationals as they battled the Atlanta Braves in September, and in October, Houston alumni rooted on the Astros as they battled the Chicago Cubs on their way to the World Series. Dallas alumni attended the Frisco Roughriders game in April.

  “We had a wonderful turnout at the Alumni Night at the Ballpark events. It was great to see alumni and their families get together to reminisce, swap stories and have a good time.,” said Kippi Griffith, MBA ’01, director of Alumni & Parent Programs. “We’re already planning next year’s ballpark events and plan to have just as much fun seeing a great game and reconnecting with former hilltoppers.”

• ’Tis the Season for Athletics ...
  Alumni, athletes, coaches and friends gathered for the first Hilltopper Golf Tournament at the Golf Club at Circle C in Austin in October to benefit the university’s varsity athletic teams. After lunch and practice on the driving range, the shotgun start began with scramble golf foursomes competing for prizes including closest to the pin and longest putt. Aaron Chilek, ’00 (who hit the day’s longest drive), and teammates Wes Foerster, ’00, Blair Trousdale, ’01, and Doug Yeamans, ’00, won the tournament with a low score of 58. When the games ended, the fun continued with live music and prizes emceed by Erin Hogan, ’96, morning show personality for sports radio station AM 1300–The Zone, and a live auction by Victoria Gutierrez, ’00, MLA ’04.

  And earlier in the month, alumnae athletes got together for soccer and softball reunion games. Women’s soccer alumnae and families watched the Hilltoppers battle Metro State University, and participants gathered after the game for a post-game barbecue on Main Building Lawn. That same weekend, current softball players took on alumni players at Diane Daniels Field.

• All the President’s Alumni
  President George E. Martin hosted receptions with alumni in Houston and Dallas this fall. More than 60 alumni attended the Houston event, while more than 75 participated in Dallas. At the receptions, Martin discussed the university’s vision to attain recognition as one of the best small universities in the country and its strategic priorities, including marketing, fundraising and enrollment. He also talked about new facilities on campus like the John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center, which will open in the fall. Find out about presidential receptions and other alumni events near you.