Blue Jays Unlimited is committed to supporting Johns Hopkins Athletics to ensure student-athletes and coaches have all of the tools and resources they need to enhance their experiences and compete at the highest level. For all programs, this requires funding for new team endowment funds.
The addition of programmatic endowments will not only help our programs in the short term, but ensure success for years to come. Endowment funding is a perfect way to support assistant coaching, team travel, facility enhancements, and team awards.
Featured Endowment
Jeffrey Ma Shiu & Emily Liu Mental Health & Wellness FundÂ
Depression and anxiety are on the rise among young adults, particularly scholar-athletes striving for excellence both in the classroom and on the playing field. With the help of an alumnus and his wife, Johns Hopkins University is offering new, robust supports for its players through the Jeffrey Ma Shiu and Emily Liu Mental Health and Wellness Endowment Fund.
Established by Shiu, A&S '02, and his wife, Emily Liu, the fund supports the goals set by Brock Turnbaugh, assistant director of scholar-athlete mental health and performance and licensed professional counselor, who is creating a game plan to increase wellness initiatives for current Blue Jays.
More Endowments
Jim Margraff Endowment for Hopkins Football
On January 15, 2019, Johns Hopkins Director of Athletics, Alanna W. Shanahan, announced an initiative to name the head football coaching position at the school after late coach Jim Margraff. The campaign for the "Jim Margraff Endowment for Hopkins Football" is off to a wonderful start.
The Jim Margraff Endowment for Hopkins Football will honor the legacy of our great and beloved coach, while investing to sustain the outstanding program he built over the past three decades.
In addition to naming the head coaching position after Margraff, a committee of former players, teammates and university administrators has been established to develop a recognition display for Margraff in the Newton White Athletic Center or Homewood Field. Donations and support for that may also be made through the Jim Margraff Endowment for Hopkins Football.
Football Pride & Poise Fund
On Saturday, September 26th over 500 alumni, parents & friends of Hopkins football, including the current team, celebrated the career of head coach Jim Margraff at the Pride & Poise Silver Anniversary Party. In his 26 years as head coach, Coach Margraff has accumulated 182 career wins, making him the winningest coach in school history, winningest coach in Maryland state history and eighth among active NCAA Division III coaches for career victories. Under his leadership, Hopkins Football has won 10 Centennial Conference Titles, made six NCAA Playoff appearances, had 101 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, and celebrated 22 Academic All-American honorees.
Margraff's success at Hopkins however, goes far beyond his winning percentage and career statistics. During his tenure, he has solidified a reputation for developing boys into men and instilling in them a sense of "Pride & Poise" that they take with them beyond the field and beyond Johns Hopkins.
In celebration of his 26 years of dedicated service to Hopkins football, Johns Hopkins Athletics and Blue Jays Unlimited announced the Pride & Poise Fund, an endowment fund that will support assistant coaching positions and help secure the program's future success. The $2,500,000 campaign will fully endow our Special Teams Coordinator, Offensive Assistant, Defensive Assistant, and Special Teams Assistant positions.
Individuals and families can make donations to the Pride & Poise Fund in any amount. All gifts will enhance the experience of our football student-athletes. Please consider being a part of this monumental campaign.
Joseph A. Vales Endowment for Hopkins Men's Basketball
The Joseph A. Vales Endowment for Men’s Basketball was esbtalished in 2020 in memory of Joseph A. Vales, Class of 1981. The endowment will forever honor his legacy, while investing to help sustain the outstanding program that he loved. The endowment will be a discretionary fund for Head Coach, Ryan Cain, and will be used to support his top annual fundraising priorities including: assistant coaching support, team building events, out-of-region travel, and team gear.
Wilson Fewster Assistant Coaching Fund
On June 11, 2014 we lost a friend, coach, mentor and Blue Jay Icon in Coach Wilson Fewster. Football and men's lacrosse alumni from the classes of 1947-1969 honored Coach Fewster's legacy by starting an assistant coaching fund in his memory. This endowment fund will provide assistant coaching support to one of Coach Margraff's assistants who is looking to break into the business as a college football coach. The fund a perfect way to memorialize his name while supporting the program he loved so dearly. It also ensures that future Hopkins football student-athletes will receive the same level of coaching and leadership as Hopkins Athletes received under Coach Fewster.
Swimming Championship Fund
Swimming alumni from the classes of 1978-1984 launched the Swimming Championship Fund during the spring of 2011. This fund will support both the men's and women's teams winter training trip to Florida each year. Every December, the team travels to Florida for the annual winter training and competition trip. This trip is extremely important for the program to be successful during the season and would not happen each year without this endowments support.
Irvin B. Litofsky Endowment for Student Pride & Tradition
The Theta Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Nu established an endowment in honor of Irvin B. Litofsky, long-time member of the Johns Hopkins University Band. The endowment will help promote school spirit by encouraging the student body and alumni to attend athletic events by helping to fund activities such as bus trips to away athletic events for students, the Band and alumni, tailgates, and giveaways.
Mike Durgala Memorial Fund
Mike Durgala, a 2005 Johns Hopkins graduate, a four-year member of the Blue Jay baseball team and an assistant coach last season under head coach Bob Babb, was killed in a chain-reaction car accident on August 3, 2007. Mike's passing was a significant blow to the Hopkins baseball family. After his passing, the baseball program developed plans to sustain Mike's legacy. Their goal was to raise $100,000 in order to establish an endowed fund that will be used to assist a young person to follow in Mike's footsteps as an assistant coach.
Friends, family, alumni and outside sources all rallied behind the challenge and created an outpouring of support. In the months that followed Mike's passing over $145,000 in gifts have been committed in his memory. Durgala was a two-time Second Team All-Centennial selection for Babb and the Blue Jays during his career. He helped lead Johns Hopkins to three Centennial Conference Championships and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament during his career. He was a key member of the 2004 team, which posted a 40-4 record and spent virtually the entire season ranked number one in the nation. A tireless worker, Durgala concluded his career ranked among the all-time leaders in numerous statistical categories, including home runs (3rd/26), doubles (3rd/45), RBIs (6th/133) and runs scored (10th/123). He began his career as a third baseman before making the seamless transition to first base. A true student of the game, Durgala served as the team's strength and conditioning coach and worked closely with the Blue Jay catchers during his season as an assistant coach. He was active working with youth baseball players, often providing individual instruction. His personality and demeanor were tailor-made for coaching the intricacies of the game.
A native of Annandale, Virginia, Durgala graduated with a degree in computer science and was a student assistant in the Sports Information and Games Operations departments at Johns Hopkins. He worked countless hours both in the office and at athletic events and quickly demonstrated a professionalism that belied his age.
Mike's legacy within Hopkins history will be honored forever through this endowment.
William S. Greenberg, Class of 1964 Athletic Fund
The Honorable William S. Greenberg established the Class of 1964 Athletic Fund during the fall of 2000. This fund supports programmatic needs both the men's and women's fencing teams.
How You Can Make a Difference
To make a gift or get more information about any of the endowments, please contact the Blue Jays Unlimited Office at 410-516-4096 or bju@jhu.edu.
*All donations to endowments are 100% tax deductible
