VCU, UR go head-to-head in fifth annual Battle for the Capital

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You could call it five on five times five. The fans of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond men’s basketball teams are set to square off again in the fifth annual Battle for the Capital, which pits the alumni of both universities against each other in a giving challenge.

The contest runs Feb. 10–17, the week before the Rams and Spiders face each other on the court, and closes at noon the day of the game, which is scheduled for 9 p.m., Feb. 17, at the Robins Center. Each university scores a point every time it receives an online or credit card donation ($5 minimum) from its alumni. The winner is the institution with the most points at the end of Battle week.

VCU has won the challenge the past three years. The Battle for the Capital has raised $276,944 for VCU, with $104,402 donated during last year’s contest. Donors can support any school, unit or program at VCU.

“Hands down, this challenge makes giving back fun,” said Michael P. Andrews, a VCU alumnus and the university’s senior director of annual giving.

But that’s not to say it isn’t highly competitive and, despite past successes, Andrews charges VCU alumni not to rest on their laurels.

“We don’t want this to be a popularity contest, so that is why we count giving from alumni only,” Andrews said. “Having said that, you would think that with the VCU alumni population being at least three times larger than UR’s, we would win easily. Quite the opposite: About 25 percent of University of Richmond alumni give back to their alma mater in any year; at VCU, that figure is only 7 percent. So each and every year, the competition and preparation for this off-court game is just as intense as the one on the court.”

With that, Andrews offered one last tip to help VCU ram the Spiders again this year.

“Remember that if your spouse is also an alum, your gift counts as two points. So for those of you lovebirds who met here on campus, make one gift and show twice the love.”

For more information about Battle for the Capital, including a scoreboard that will be updated during the week and information about how to contribute, visit battleforthecapital.org.