Cal Gymnastics Forever

Cal Gymnastics is in trouble and needs our help.  Being the product of collegiate gymnastics myself, I know how critical it is to try and keep every single opportunity alive that we have left for male gymnasts.  Cal's program is one of the best around, producing successful NCAA gymnasts AND USAG National Team Members.  So, when my friend and former teammate, Dave Kruse (a Cal alum), asked me if I would spread the word about how people can help, I told him "Absolutely!"

See more information at http://www.calgymnasticsforever.com/

To help,  just follow these 3 simple steps:

Step One: Write letter

Please write a letter to the Chancellor with the main points found below in mind. These points are not necessities to your letter, but act as a guideline. Send your letter to the P.O. Box address seen below, which is strongly suggested, or send it via email at calmensgymnastics@gmail.com. To further help you with your letter, download this template.

Here are the main points that can be used for guidance:

• Strong tradition of Cal Men’s Gymnastics: History of superior graduation rates and academic achievements, 4 NCAA Championships, countless All-Americans, multiple individual NCAA champions , etc.
• Please note that 2012 would be the 100th anniversary of Cal Men’s Gymnastics & an olympic year.
• Please use the phrase, “Athletics done right”, to describe our strong tradition at Cal.
• If applicable, please briefly highlight your own experience at Cal and the impact it has had on your current path in life.
• If applicable, please briefly highlight your child’s or family member’s experience at Cal and the impact it has had on their life.
• Please include your thoughts regarding the negative impact the loss of the program will have on men’s gymnastics nation-wide.
• Prioritize your pride in the program and your desire to secure future opportunities for others.

Step Two: Donations

After much thought and consideration, the Cal Gymnastics Forever Committee has come to a decision on how to best utilize your generous donations. In order to plan for the future, as well as address our immediate problems, we feel that a pledge drive for the 2012 season and beyond will have the greatest impact. Our goal is to present UC Berkeley’s Chancellor and Athletic Director with a stack of pledges that will cut into the annual cost of running the program, which is about $350,000 a year. If you are able to donate, we are asking you to put a pledge (intended donation) at the bottom of your letter of support that says the following:

• Option 1 I ________________ will pledge $________________ for the 2012 season for Cal Men’s Gymnastics.
• Option2 I ________________ will pledge ________________ per year for a period of ___________ years to help ensure the future of Cal Men’s Gymnastics.

If you are choosing not to write a letter and would still like to contribute to the pledge drive, please follow this link to submit your pledge.

Just Some quick numbers:

100 donors giving $1000.00 = $100,000 or almost 1/3 of the whole budget for a season.
We will contact you in the future for the actual donation, once our 2012 status is secured.
Our long-term goal is still to set up an endowment but we need this interim solution to try and save our NCAA status.

Step Three: Send Letter

After completing your letter, send it to the following address:

Address to send letter to:
Cal Gymnastics Forever
P.O. Box 1762
Oakland, CA 94604