Editor’s note: This article was updated on Feb. 21 to clarify the date of the second Red Out event, which took place on Thursday, Feb. 20.
For its 13th year, this year’s Red Out was longer than ever and spanned several days rather than one.
The fundraiser kicked off with the hockey game this past weekend and will continue this week on Thursday at the men’s and women’s basketball games. The annual Red Out hockey game brought fans together for a night of sports and fundraising, all in support of women’s heart health.
The Red Out fundraiser is a tradition dedicated to raising awareness and funds for life-saving cardiac rehabilitation.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Big Rapids Corewell Health cardiac unit, helping support local patients and heart health initiatives.
Organized by sports communication students and volunteers in the Sports Professionals Association registered student organization, the event highlights how sports can bring people together to raise awareness and make a difference.
Behind the success of Red Out was the dedication and hard work of students who took on key roles in organizing and promoting the event.
This was SPA Treasurer and sports communication senior Ryan Pilon’s fourth year helping the initiative.
“My first year I was the guy that stood around waiting to be told what to do,” Pilon said. “I can’t believe I’m in the position I’m in now.”
Taking on co-assistant athletic director on the project, Pilon has worked his way up the ladder of Ferris athletics.
From doing play-by-play and intermission interviews for hockey and color commentary for volleyball. Pilon’s journey from a freshman getting his feet wet to a key leader in the event reflects the dedication and growth of the students involved in Red Out.
His experience is just one example of how this fundraiser has provided students with hands-on learning opportunities.
Red Out was the creation of communication professor Sandy Alspach, who not only founded the event but expanded it into the successful fundraiser it is today.
As she prepares for her final year leading the Red Out, Alspach speaks highly of the students who have stepped up to carry the tradition forward.
“What does a teacher take away at the end of a 50-plus year career in education?” Alspach said. “The names. I can drop the names of my successful students. And that’s my legacy.”
That legacy is evident in this year’s sports communication fundraising efforts, from securing sponsorships to coordinating with athletic events.
Students have applied their classroom knowledge in real-world settings, all while supporting women’s heart health.
“The connection between hands-on learning, a Ferris trademark, we promote that students graduate ready to go, with direct experience for the jobs they want,” Alspach said.
From media outreach to sponsor coordination, she played a vital role in bringing Red Out to life. Co-assistant Athletic Director and sports communication senior Jessica Miller was at the forefront of these efforts, handling key aspects of media communication.
She worked alongside Associate Athletics Director Rob Bentley to design promotional flyers, collaborated with Corewell Health to assemble heart kits and helped organize the check presentation for donations collected during the first Red Out event.
“The community showed up in a big way,” Miller said.
The total amount of the first check presented to Corewell Health was $1,572.
The Ferris community was able to raise almost half of the total proceeds from last year’s Red Out, in a single night.
Sports communication senior Michael Towns helped with the fundraiser.
“So far, we’ve had way more bids than I expected, and people aren’t just raising by a dollar,” Towns said. “We’re making significant jumps.”
A key moment of the night occurred during the auction for one-of-a-kind signed Ferris sports gear, specifically a hockey stick signed by the team.
What started as friendly bidding quickly escalated into a competitive showdown between a Ferris student and a Big Rapids community member, both determined to take home the prize and give to a cause.
Vice President of the Dawg Pound RSO and chemistry senior Decklin Neal committed to the bidding war.
Already in possession of a signed Noah Giesbrecht puck from last year’s event and in the process of completing his signed Ferris jersey from all current players, Neal felt obligated to add to his Bulldog hockey memorabilia.
“I went out to the concourse to check my bid and his wife came up to me and handed me $20,” Neal said. “She said she didn’t want her husband to get the stick, keep outbidding him.”
After several bids and quality fundraising tactics done by the sports communication students, the signed stick was ultimately awarded to Neal, who was pleased to secure it without hitting his ceiling.
With Red Out expanding to several days this year, the fundraiser is far from over.
Fans will have another opportunity to show their support for women’s heart health at the men’s and women’s basketball games this Thursday in the form of donations. These donations can be made throughout the week via a QR code on fliers posted across campus and throughout the Big Rapids community.
What began as one professor’s vision has grown into a lasting tradition, bringing students, fans and local supporters together for a shared cause.