Philanthropy’s Competitive Advantage: All Red Devils Win
Endowed gifts and enhanced annual support turn talent and hard work into a winning program
Dickinson athletics is in the midst of a transformation. Across fields, courts and locker rooms, endowed gifts and enhanced annual support are turning talent and hard work into a winning program—one with the resources, facilities and the staying power to compete at the highest level, year after year.
In fiscal 2024-25 alone, donors gave more than $2.6 million to the McAndrews Fund for Athletics, supporting all 25 varsity teams and funding a new, stateof-the-art video scoreboard at Biddle Field. Add to that a series of targeted endowments for specific sports, and the picture becomes clear: Dickinson’s competitive edge is being built from the ground up and from the inside out.
“It’s inspiring to know how much the Dickinson community and alums believe in us and our future, and we’re incredibly thankful for their commitment to our team’s success.”
—Victoria Zerbe ’26, women’s basketball
Facilities That Fuel Success
At the heart of this growth is the transformational philanthropy of Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare P’22, P’25. Their gifts helped fund the Hare Family Sports Performance & Training Center—a modern training and locker-room facility—and funded the installation and maintenance of professional-grade Bermuda grass playing surfaces for the men’s and women’s soccer teams on the Phyllis Joan Miller Memorial Field.
Built to serve all student-athletes, the training center houses cutting-edge strength and conditioning equipment, dedicated space for injury prevention and recovery, and versatile training areas adaptable for every sport.
And as Head Women’s Soccer Coach Ted Zingman puts it, the field is “the Cadillac of grass playing surfaces,” making Dickinson the lone stadium in the area with this type of field—and giving it a claim to having “one of the premier grass stadiums and training facilities in the country.”
“This is just transformational for us. … Not many Division I programs in this region have a field of this quality, let alone Division III programs.”
—Jorge Chapoy, Head Men’s Soccer Coach
Permanent Fuel for the Fire in Every Red Devil
Importantly, the Hares didn’t stop at facility upgrades—they also established endowed funds supporting baseball, softball and soccer. With dedicated resources for travel, recruiting and training, coaches can focus on building rosters and refining skills without budget constraints.
Together, these resources help Red Devils teams train and compete in top-tier conditions no matter the season. The result is year-round readiness, better injury management and an environment in which athletes can focus on skill development and performance.
At the same time, a new basketball endowed fund is set to enhance both men’s and women’s teams, bringing additional backing for vital facets of the athletics experience, like
nutritional support and travel.
“The Friends of Red Devil Basketball group has created a situation where our players have unique, memorable experiences,” says Head Coach Alan Seretti, specifically citing his squad’s recent tour of Italy. “The basketball endowment fund is an extraordinary achievement for the men’s and women’s basketball alumni here at Dickinson because it shows how important this institution and these athletic programs are, and the financial implications of the endowment allow Dickinson basketball to create a first-class experience for all of our student-athletes.”
“The stability the endowment provides long term allows for us to deliver a very special experience for our student-athletes. Over time, we will be able to continue to enhance facilities for our athletes and continue the culture of winning and excellence that is Dickinson athletics. Friends of Red Devil Basketball has become a group that not only gives back to future athletes but has built a community that our current athletes strive to be a part of once they graduate.”
—Aby Diop, Head Woman’s Basketball Coach
Honoring a Coaching Legacy: David W. Webster ’88 Men’s Lacrosse Fund
To see the potential impact of new athletics endowments, you need look no further than Dickinson’s men’s lacrosse program. In 2017, the David W. Webster ’88 Men’s Lacrosse Fund was established by a diverse pool of donors to support the advancement of Dickinson’s men’s lacrosse program and to honor Webster, the revered longtime head coach known for his deep connection to players on and off the field.
“[We] had the idea, why don’t we start a fund and why not name it after the man who runs the best program in lacrosse in the country?” says Ed Finneran P’18. “So we did.”
This past year, we saw the impact of that funding pay off in a huge way, as the men’s lacrosse team completed a historic season that culminated in playing in the finals of the NCAA tournament at Gillette Stadium. Despite losing the game, the team—which also boasted eight All-Centennial Conference selections and three AllAmericans—showed the power of the kind of sustained investment in excellence that endowed funds provide.
As Coach Webster sees it, the team’s historic success was a direct result of this kind of support from alumni and families. “I’ve heard from so many other college coaches who have found some inspiration with what we’ve done and the run we had,” he explains. “Little schools like Dickinson—who have some incredible young men and families and alumni who support the program—can do things like this.”
The Future Burns Bright
With this kind of increased permanent support across more sports, and with new resources supporting all Red Devil student-athletes, the future looks bright for Dickinson athletics. And it’s all a product of the broad community support from families and former Red Devils.
“I’m so thankful for the way our alumni and parent donors are stepping up to help take Dickinson athletics to the next level.”
—Celine Cunningham, Director of Athletics
Published October 29, 2025