March 1, 2010

Niagara University’s Purple and White Club

The Purple and White Club is the fundraising arm for Niagara University’s 18-sport Division I program. Sixteen of the 18 sports are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC); the men’s and women’s hockey teams play in the College Hockey America (CHA) Conference. Niagara, which is located in Lewiston, N.Y. along the American and Canadian border, has an enrollment of 3,853.

A special initiative for the Purple and White Club is the sport-specific development which enhances operating budgets annually. Funds have more than doubled in the last three fiscal years; the men’s soccer team used some of its funds to pay for a summer trip in 2008 to Newcastle and Manchester, England, where the team visited the football hallow grounds of St. James’ Park (Newcastle) and Old Trafford (Manchester United).

The Purple and White Club holds several events throughout the year, to go along with the capital campaign, which are designed to raise funds for Niagara University athletics to benefit the welfare of our student-athletes. The Alumni and Athletics Kist Golf Classic and the Sports Dinner are the two major fundraising events Niagara holds each year.

The golf tournament honors the late Ray Kist, the head trainer at Niagara University for 16 years. He brought enthusiasm, energy and expertise to his profession while caring and treating student-athletes. Inducted into the Niagara Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993, he battled ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) with an upbeat attitude, the same way he would counsel a student. The illness claimed his life at the age of 46 on January 31, 1995. The one day golf outing brings together alumni (athletics and non-athletics), the athletics department and the local community for a day full of food, prizes and entertainment.

Over the last decade, the funds raised at this event have enhanced athletics facilities as well as special projects to benefit the strength training and sports medicine programs. The 2009 edition had a profit of approximately $20,000, the most in the 11-year history of the event.

The Sports Dinner is Niagara Athletics biggest fundraiser of the year, which helps to fund scholarships, equipment purchases, travel and operational costs. The athletics department’s ultimate goal is to improve the overall student-athlete experience and overall competitiveness. The dinner includes a silent auction featuring sports memorabilia, trips, gift certificates and other valued items and a reverse drawing.

The Purple and White Club main capital campaigns are to renovate the Kiernan Recreation Center and the newly minted Niagara Field. Kiernan offers intramural, recreational programs, gym and workout center for the University. It is also the home for several coaches’ offices, locker rooms for several teams and the Oxy Aquatic Center, home to the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. The goal for the Purple and White Club is to raise $2 million by 2011 to fund new locker rooms, offices and workout area. To date, they have raised over $1.3 million with a lead gift of $500,000. Dwyer Arena, home of the hockey programs since 1999, under went $1 million renovations with premium seating being added before the 2007-08 season.

Niagara Field is the multi-purpose field for both soccer programs and the women’s lacrosse team. The $2 million project, which is located behind the Kiernan Center, broke ground in April 2008 and had its first event on August 25, 2008. The state-of-the-art field features a new field turf surface, lights, seating for 1,200 and a fully functional press box. The new field touts a turf playing field, allowing it to be used year round. Lights are fitted around the new field, allowing the Purple Eagles to hold night practices and games.

About Ed McLaughlin: Ed McLaughlin enters his fourth year as director of athletics at Niagara University. At Niagara, McLaughlin oversees a Division I athletics program with 18 sports and a 50-member staff.

Under McLaughlin’s leadership, renewed efforts in the external areas of the department led to a nearly half-million dollar increase in revenue, two-straight single-season attendance record in men’s hockey, the best attendance totals in men’s basketball history (2007-08), a video web streaming package for all men’s and women’s basketball and hockey home games and three national television appearances. He also helped create the Niagara Sports Network, a television network that broadcast six men’s basketball and hockey contests to over a million homes throughout New York and New England. McLaughlin spearheaded a $1-million renovation to Dwyer Arena, created a Student-Athlete Code of Conduct and hired five new staff members, including three head coaches.

McLaughlin, who served as associate athletics director for external affairs at American University from 2004-06, was named Director of Athletics at Niagara University in July 2006.

At American, McLaughlin served as the associate director of athletics for external affairs. In September 2004, he gained additional duties as the executive director of the Eagles Club.

McLaughlin’s responsibilities at American consisted of spearheading the external unit for athletics, including development, alumni relations, marketing, sports information and tickets. His primary focus was on development and alumni relations, running the fundraising arm of the athletics department, the Eagles Club, as well as the athletic department’s capital campaign, part of the University’s A New AU campaign. Alumni participation and giving increased in each year since McLaughlin took over, and each sport program started an affinity group to promote fund-raising and participation.

A 1995 graduate of Boston College with a bachelor of arts in political science and communications, McLaughlin served as the sports editor of the school’s independent weekly student newspaper, The Heights.

McLaughlin graduated in May 2005 from American University with a master’s degree in health promotion management.

McLaughlin and his wife, Shelley, have a daughter, Hannah, and sons, Liam and Rian.