Save the dates!

Happy New Year!

Between Mason Lobbies and the start of the A10 play, January and February are always a busy time for Mason alumni in Richmond.   Here are just a few of the events not to miss so save the date and use the links below to register!

Planning to attend Homecoming?  Would you be interested in a MasonRVA get together in Fairfax Friday night after the Alumni Beer Tasting event?  Send an email to rob@masonrva.com if you are interested.

 

 

 

Event Reminder: Wed, Sep 30, 2015 5-8:30pm

Once again, MasonRVA is participating in the Annual Alumni Charity Challenge and we need your help! We have won this challenge for the last 2 years so help us do a 3-peat on Wednesday, Sept. 30. We will be collecting canned goods to benefit needy families in the Richmond area at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery from 5 – 8:30 p.m. All donations will benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank.

If you have any questions regarding the Alumni Charity Challenge, please contact Rob Walters. Like us on Facebook and check out MasonRVA.com for the latest information on events and activities.

With Patriot Pride,
Rob Walters ’88
MasonRVA Club Leader

Beat VCU, LSU, UNC,… Mason Alumni going for the 3-PETE!

acc-cupMason Alumni in RVA (w/ help from our fellow alumni in NOVA) won both the 1st and 2nd Alumni Charity Challenges hosted by VCU at Hardywood to benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank.

The first two years the challenge was limited to alumni chapters from Virginia schools including VCU, UVA, VaTech, JMU, VMI, etc. so the competition was good, but not good enough to beat MasonNation.  This year the event will be expanded to include alumni chapters from out-of-state schools and we expect participation from schools with strong local alumni chapters like LSU and UNC so a 3-PETE is not a given.  If you have been thinking about getting involved, now would be a good a time 🙂

The first planning meeting with members of the alumni chapters from all the other schools will be next week  (May 11-14, exact day, time, and place TBD).  If you would like to get involved and participate in the planning, or just want an excuse to meet a few other local Richmond alum for a drink after work, send an email rob@masonrva.com and we will let you know when and where the meeting will be next week (we will also post the event on the blog and you can just show up).

Go Mason!

 

The VCU Alumni Richmond Chapter will be hosting the 3rd  Annual Alumni Charity Challenge with fellow Richmond alumni chapters.  As you may know, we had a terrific turnout last year and had terrific weather as well. Last year, the Alumni Charity Challenge raised a total of 5,649 pounds of canned good for Central Virginia Food Bank in 3 hours with the participation from 13 different schools. This year we are excited to expand the event with out of state universities to compete against the State of Virginia Colleges and Universities.
What?
Charity networking event to raise canned goods which benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank .
When?

A weekday evening in August with a date to be determined

Cost:
FREE!!! Just bring your Alumni tent

Mason Lobbies 2015 and Alumni Reception – don’t miss it!

Personally, this is my favorite event of the year, not only because we get to talk about our favorite institution of higher learning to our representatives at the State Capitol, but because it is a great opportunity to meet and mentor students attending Mason today (future Mason Alumni).

Last year, a young Mason student who was from Roanoke (wow, a Mason student from Southwest VA!) was assigned to my group of students from the district I live in .  After we visited the offices of the delegates and senators who represent the City of Richmond and surrounding counties, I asked if she would like to try to find her representative from Roanoke. We did and it was cool to watch. In 3 years of participating in Mason Lobbies I have never seen a representative so excited to meet one of his constituents. He had pictures taken, engaged in more than just small talk, and I believe he opened a door for a possible summer internship for the student.

Even if you cannot take the morning off and join us at the State Capitol on Thursday, join us Wednesday night for the alumni reception. Last year, Mason Alum and State Delegates David Ramadan and Tag Greason joined us – who knows who might join us this year, plus we will have MasonRVA t-shirts for everyone.

Mason Lobbies 2015 and Alumni Reception
Join fellow alumni for an Alumni Reception on Jan. 28 and Mason Lobbies on Jan 29., a day where the Mason community will advocate for Mason’s diverse academic interests and legislative priorities with the Virginia State Legislature.
Contact Information
Primary Contact

Gerica Goodman
703-993-8737
ggoodman@gmu.edu
Date & Location
Date: 1/28/2015 to 1/29/2015
Time: 5:30 PM

Location: 

Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Richmond
Capitol Square
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM		 Alumni Reception
Join us for an evening of food, fun, and networking in the State Capital on Wednesday, January 28 at 6 pm. Meet fellow alumni from Richmond and across Virginia.Parking at the Hilton Garden Inn: There is ample street parking – no meters after 6:00 p.m. – that surrounds the hotel and there are 2 self-park, self-pay lots directly across the street – one on 5th Street and one on 6th Street.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM		 Mason Lobbies 2015
We also encourage you to join your fellow Patriots for Mason Lobbies 2015. Building off of the success of last year’s Mason Lobbies event, Mason Lobbies 2015 will bring together undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff for a day of advocacy with the Virginia State Legislature.

 

Pregame Reception – Mason MBB @ Richmond

MasonRVA welcomes all Mason Students and Alum to join us at Estilo’s from 5 – 6:30pm just minutes from The Robins Center on the campus of University of Richmond before the game.

We will have MasonRVA t-shirts for everyone to wear to the game to show Mason Nation is alive and well in Richmond, VA (RVA)!

If you need tickets, you can either purchase “premium” seats from the Mason box office:

“Premium” Seats ($22 / ticket + $3 processing fee)

or purchase “cheap” seats directly from the University of Richmond box office:

“Cheap” Seats ($15 / ticket)

Upcoming events in 2015!

Happy New Year!

MasonRVA is going to begin the year with a bang!  During the months of January and February we will host and/or participate in the following events:

Mason @ University of Richmond Men’s Basketball Game & Pregame Reception at Estilo (Jan 8 – ticket information will be available under an event specific post).  We will have MasonRVA t-shirts for everyone to wear to the game!

Mason Lobbies Day & Alumni Reception (Jan 28, 29)

Homecoming 2015 & MasonRVA Tailgate (if the weather is good)

MasonRVA 1st Annual Brewery Tour (subscribe to the blog for a chance to win a free tour).

We look forward to getting together more in 2015!

Rob.

 

 

 

RVA Food Bank wins again! Mason defeats VCU, Tech, Woos, and others…

THE CHALLENGE – The 2nd Annual Alumni Charity Challenge
Which Richmond area alumni chapter can donate the most canned goods at Hardywood on Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014, 5-8:30pm.

aacc2

THE 2014 CHALLENGERS

VCU Alumni**
Richmond James Madison (JMU) Alumni Association**
Richmond Hokies**
ODU Alumni Richmond Chapter**
Roanoke College**
@Richmond Hoos – UVaClub of Richmond (University of Virginia Alumni)**
Radford
Roanoke
VMI
Hampton Syndney
Longwood
Christopher Newport
William & Mary

** also participated in 2013

acc-cupTHE PRIZE – School name added to the Alumni Charity Challenge Cup (and bragging rights).

THE RESULT – Mason Alumni win the cup and bragging rights for the 2nd year in a row!

Champions: George Mason = 1+ TON
acc2014-results

masonrva-acc2014-2

8:30pm – RVA matches donations from NoVa!

If you missed the challenge we hope you will make the event next year! I know VCU, Tech, and UVA are taking notes (they all visited our tent and asked questions) so we are going to need all the help we can get to THREE-PEAT.

@MasonRVA would like to thank those who made it possible to win the Cup (sorry if we miss anyone)…

Brian Jones ’06 (NoVa – for challenging the alumni board to donate over 1,000 lbs of food)
The Alumni Association Board of Directors (NoVa)
The School of Business Alumni Chapter (NoVa)
Gerica Goodman ’12 (NoVa – the new best Alumni Rep ever @MasonAlumni – for driving down from Mason, bringing the tent and the swag, and working the tent)
Jen Shelton ’94 (NoVa)
Carol Swigart ’06 (NoVa)
Jason ’93 & Cathy Reis
Chris Clark-Talley (NoVa)
Anna Goltz (NoVa – the old best Alumni Rep ever for her Peanut Butter donation)

Elaine Gregory ’09 (RVA)
Kimmy Pollard (RVA)
Sabena Moretz (RVA)
Conaway Haskins III ’99 (RVA)
Kerri Chapman ’98 (RVA)

Richmond Brewery Tour

Alumni Charity Challenge 2014 – Brew Tour Raffle

Special thanks to…

Elaine Gregory ’09 – for her generous donation again this year that resulted in her winning the raffle for the 2nd year in a row! (prize: two tickets for an RVA Brewery Tour).

Tommy Miller and Richmond Brewery Tours for donating to the raffle.

Nicola (my wife) – for supporting me supporting Mason.

Next MasonRVA event will be the long anticipated RVA Brewery Tour. We expect to sell-out, so subscribers to the blog will get the first opportunity to sign-up!

With Mason Pride,

Rob ’88

Free RVA Brewery Tour!

rvabrewtour1 Pound = 1 Ticket Raffle

As if supporting Mason and the Richmond Community was not already good enough, now you have one more reason to come out for the Alumni Charity Challenge tomorrow night.

 

acc-cansPickup some canned goods on the way home tonight to bring to the Alumni Charity Challenge tomorrow (Wed, September 17th, 5:30 – 8:30)  @Hardywood Park for the Central Virginia Food Bank.

Deliver your canned goods to the Mason Alumni tent and enter the MasonRVA raffle for a chance to win two tickets for an RVA Brewery Tour.  You will get one raffle ticket for each pound of food you donate.

Bring your friends who graduated from other fine universities and encourage them to donate canned goods at the MasonRVA tent for a chance to win the raffle (and help Mason win the challenge)!

Last year the raffle helped us divert a few donations from VCU alumni and Mason Alum Elaine Gregory ’09 won.

Go Mason!

The MasonRVA Challenge

No ice bucket required – MasonRVA and the George Mason Alumni Board challenge Mason Alumni in the Greater Richmond Region to connect to your Alma Mater this week!

Here are just a few reasons this will be a great week to engage!

acc-cansServe our Community…

On Wednesday, September 17th, Mason Nation will defend our bragging rights in Richmond, Virginia (RVA) at the 2nd Annual Alumni Charity Challenge. The charity challenge is a great way to show your support for both RVA and Mason. Come out on Wednesday evening to see just how far our alumni board is willing to go to support local alumni chapters and the communities we serve. We hope you will stay and visit, but even if you only have time to stop by and drop off a donation, you will not be disappointed!  Go Mason! Beat VCU! and Tech and the Hoos…

Mason Fan

Energize your Mason Pride…

Still trying to decide what to do this weekend? It is never too late to decide to attend Alumni Weekend.

Alumni Weekend is a great opportunity to be inspired and you don’t have to attend the whole weekend to benefit.

Decide last minute to drive up to Fairfax to visit some old friends that got stuck up in NoVa and plan to take just a few hours to visit the campus for one of the following events:

Alumni WeekendThe State of the University
2 to 3 p.m.
Johnson Center, Third Floor, George’s Restaurant

Dr. Ángel Cabrera will discuss what’s ahead for Mason and how alumni can make a difference.   President Cabrera will be joined by Senior Vice President J.J. Davis, Provost David Wu, Athletic Director Brad Edwards and other university leaders.

Alumni Weekend Green and Gold Bash
Green and Gold Bash
When: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Fairfax Campus
Where: The Tent at the George Mason Statue, Johnson Center North Plaza
Cost: $15 early-bird pricing until 9/15 General Admission: $20
Additional $5 for Spirit Tasting (first 50 registrants get a whiskey fluted shot glass)

If you don’t do anything else for Alumni Weekend, this event is not to be missed. Whether your years at Mason were groovy, dynamite, far out, rad, cool, out of sight or totally awesome the Green and Gold Bash is the event for you. We’ve got lots in store, including a performance by The Green Machine, a spirited tasting presented by A. Smith Bowman Distillery, and mouthwatering cuisine paired with a selection of regional beers and wine served by Grafton Street Restaurant and Irish Pub. We’ll have caricature artists on hand to draw you at your best, and a photo booth to squeeze in and capture the moment. Don’t miss this opportunity to create more Mason memories.

Subscribe to MasonRVA.com and/or visit often for news and updates and anything and everything Mason and RVA.  Future upcoming MasonRVA events include:

If you have an idea for an event, would like to help with planning and/or take the lead on these or any other future events, send an email to Rob Walters BS ’88.