Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation and Rombert Morris Hockey Leader, Logan Bittle is optimistic.

Why?

Well, as he said of their efforts to help save the Colonials’ Hockey Programs

“We’re a lot better off than we were a week an a half a go.“

On why he started the foundation designed to help save Colonials College Hockey, he said ” we wanted to take our disappointment and sadness (around the initial way the programs were cut) and make something of it.“

But, he cautioned of the early commitments “ it’s significant but we still need more significant money.”

This entire foundation stated out of an innate desire for people to help. Bittle was getting pledges to his email account. This model was not sustainable, and required some quick adjustments. As he said of why he started the foundation,” “ one of the main reasons we stated this foundation was the people we’ve met along the way.“

The goal is to help all those involved in working with saving Colonials Hockey. So far, the group is getting pledges from a wide variety of folks, both in a private, and business capacity, and as things get finalized, Bittle is excited to share more news when he can. While it is unclear what the official number of funds raised is, it is also clear that his group has put a big dent in that number.

His foundation has one week left to help raise enough funds to show long term viability for both teams to justify reinstatement. For the Colonials to be back on the ice, Bittle’s group, in conjunction with the university need to show not a specific number, but a sense of progress towards seven million dollars raised in total over the next five years.

While the hard number needed by the administration is vague, their willingness to help Bittle’s group is not, and very much real according to Bittle. Logically it then follows, if the support was not concrete it was not, this last-chance offering by the school would not have happened.

As to the logistics of running the teams next year, he left that up to the hockey staff left with each program. Bittle praised the efforts of Robert Morris in working together with them to be a part of a solution. On the support the teams have seen, Bittle said of the RMU community that, “it’s resilient and willing to help it’s own.“

As this effort progresses, we hope to have more on the hockey plans of the Colonials, should this drive hopefully get the back on the ice.

 

Pledge Form: Here is a link (click the word “link” to the pledge form Bittle’s Foundation is using to gather one time, and multi year contributions. The university needs to see long term viability financially for both programs. While more can be discussed on the hockey ramifications should reinnstatement happen, it is a reality that fundraising, for these teams, for the next week, is all that matters. If you are able to, please consider helping give two programs with a legacy of success at preparing men and women for life both on and off the rink a chance to continue that positive legacy moving forward.