Prepare to Roar Campaign Exceeds $500,000 Goal

Pocatello, Idaho- Thanks to the generosity of 225 alumni and friends, Idaho State Athletics' second annual Prepare to Roar campaign was a record-setting success for the Bengals raising $592,173 in support of nutrition, medical care, academic support, facility enhancements, and more.

"We are so appreciative of every donor who contributed to the campaign," said Athletic Director Pauline Thiros. "Several of our teams hit their fundraising mark and the support we received including over three hundred thousand dollars to the Champions Fund was truly incredible."

Now in its second year, Prepare to Roar was initiated last fall during the height of the pandemic after fall sports seasons were postponed. To better align each team's annual fundraising efforts, the inaugural campaign was launched and it raised over $275,000 for ISU Athletics in two weeks.

"To say our Bengal student-athletes and coaches were inspired by the generosity during that time of uncertainty is an understatement," said Thiros. "We found out quickly that the concentrated two-week fundraising effort was going to be our best path going forward in terms of raising support for our teams and auxiliary areas."

The 115% Prepare to Roar increase from 2020 to 2021 demonstrated the commitment and dedication of alumni and Bengal fans near and far.

This year's campaign, which took on a hybrid model, counted its Quarterback Club donors as part of the October 25 through November 5 campaign since membership needed to be secured before the first football game on September 4.

In addition to the Champions Fund and each Bengal team's fundraising club, the 2021 Prepare to Roar campaign featured the Coach Kragthorpe Scholarship Fund, new opportunities for Bengal nutrition and strength and conditioning, and several matching gift opportunities. 

The campaign was fueled by two early donations of $50,000 from Cole Chevrolet, Nissan, Kia and Joe and Judy Saratore. Then an anonymous alumnus moved the needle considerably with a game-changing gift of $100,000. Fundraising efforts concluded on November 5 and almost hit $600,000 after Dairy West's Local Dairy Farm Families and Bill and Marina Spaulding of Boise each made $50,000 commitments.

"Every single donation from twenty dollars to one hundred thousand will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes," added Thiros. "The support we received during Prepare to Roar far exceeded our expectations and we hope to raise the bar even higher next fall."

Idaho State Athletics will be launching its 2022 Prepare to Roar campaign in August before the 2022-23 competitive season begins. In the meantime, the campaign website will remain live for those wishing to support their favorite Bengal team.