RIT Tigers for Tigers Raises Over $5,500 for Tiger Conservation Efforts

On October 18^th, RIT T4T raised over $5,500 for conservation efforts at the sold out Brick City Homecoming men’s hockey game against Boston College in Rochester, NY.

Prior to the game, RIT Tigers for Tigers produced one of a kind warm-up jerseys for the men’s hockey players that would be auctioned off throughout the game. In conjunction with the jerseys, RIT T4T produced a jumbo-tron asset and scripts for the announcer that was shown to more than 10,500 tiger fans to generate mass awareness for the cause and their club.

Despite the loss to Boston College, (2-6), the morale and spirit of the fans was alive! Jersey bids started at $100 but quickly soared! Within the first period RIT’s starting goalie, Jordan Ruby’s jersey sold for $500! By the beginning of the second period, every jersey had a bid. Throughout the game alumni, families and fans kept checking back in. By the end of the auction, fans were fighting over the pens to get their last bids in, proving their RIT Tiger spirit.

No matter where you are in the country, the tiger spirit is there! Tigers for Tigers elevates school pride and provides opportunities for tiger fans to do something positive for their mascot. “It’s cool to channel all of the positive energy we have for our athletic teams to see the bigger picture," Matt Miles, RIT T4T, president. This connection of the spirit we share for our mascot, to making a difference for our mascot in the wild is what Tigers for Tigers is all about.

At the same time, our students are building a foundation of critical job skills and experiences necessary for future careers. Peter Couttes of RIT T4T said, “It was great to see something go from an idea to a finished product. As a mechanical engineering major, engineering is all about coming up with an idea to solving a problem and implementing a solution. I definitely saw a similar pattern here." Students are recognizing that Tigers for Tigers is more than an on-campus organization, Tigers for Tigers is a movement that is truly making a difference while preparing them for their future.

We are extremely proud of RIT Tigers for Tigers, and we can’t wait to take this experience forward.  Great job guys! Go Tigers!

Learn more about RIT T4T’s unique experiences here!

Check out their awesome Public Service Announcement!

Sean Carnell

National Coordinator

National Tigers for Tigers Coalition
t4tcoalition@gmail.com

RIT Bleeds Orange & Black for Men's Hockey Silent Jersey Auction

On Saturday, October 18^th Tigers for Tigers at RIT will be having their first ever silent jersey auction at their Men’s hockey Homecoming game in effort to #SaveourMascot from extinction!

Hosted at Blue Cross Arena, the silent auction will begin as soon as doors open at 6 PM located at the entrance of the arena. Tiger fans will be able to bid on each RIT player’s limited edition #SaveourMascot jersey with bids starting at just $100! Bidding will end at the puck drop of the third period, which gives everyone plenty of time to make sure they get their favorite player’s jersey! Proceeds from the silent jersey auction will benefit international tiger conservation.

Barely a year old, Tigers for Tigers at RIT is proof of what student tigers can do for wild tigers with a little bit of hard work and a lot of passion! Last October, RIT held its annual Brick City 5K, and T4T saw an opportunity to raise awareness through this event. With 500 participants and almost 200 of those being student-athletes, the 5K proved to be a huge success with Tigers for Tigers at RIT receiving the $250 raised as a result.

Tigers for Tigers at RIT has done an amazing job at connecting the spirit they have on the field to the passion to save their mascot off the field. “Every time I would gear up for a swim meet, I felt a sense of pride; knowing that when I wore my mascot, I represented my university and all that it stands for,” said Matthew Partacz, T4T member and a senior Mechanical Engineering major at RIT. Their brand new club is 30 tigers strong, and continues to grow every week. As he learned more about the threats facing tigers in the wild, Matthew went on to say, “This made me wonder… ‘What will RIT stand for if our tiger mascot was no more?' At this point in time, I realized that I had the opportunity to make a big difference not only for RIT, but for other tiger mascot universities as well.” If you’re a tiger, you’re going to do something to save wild tigers, and RIT is a perfect example of that!

Tigers for Tigers at RIT will also be hosting its 2^nd Annual 5K race this Sunday, October 19^th at 10 AM at Grace Watson Hall. Students can participate for FREE, while non-students can participate for $15 in advance by registering on RIT’s campus in the Campus Center in the Fireside Lounge, or $20 day of the race. So, whether you could make it to the hockey game or not, register for the 5K to prove you’re a REAL tiger & are willing to run to #SaveourMascot!

Go Tigers!

Carrah Lingo
Communications Associate
National Tigers for Tigers Coalition
clingo@clemson.edu