No matter the sport. Or the era.
No matter the gender. Or the race.
Special teams all share one thing in common: a bond.
A feeling of comradery, of brotherhood or sisterhood that lasts more than a season, or even an entire college career. It lasts a lifetime.
Since 1886, the Harvard Varsity Club has been a special team. Through events and programs, the Varsity Club celebrates, supports and connects Harvard athletes and their families, past and present, while preserving the traditions and fostering the ideals of Harvard Athletics.
Harvard Varsity Club. ‘Your Team for Life.’
YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The HVC is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit. Like most non-profits, we depend on annual financial support to ensure that we not only provide the quality of programming that our student-athletes, alumni, and friends have come to expect of us, but that we can continue to grow the scope of programming we offer.
As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all membership dues and donations made to the HVC are 100% tax deductible.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE HVC
ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Annual memberships are 100% tax deductible. Receive a discount on 3-year (save $50) or 5-year memberships (save $125 -- buy four years, get one year free).
HVC members receive discounts on HVC events and merchandise -- including new Lettersweaters and DHAs to replace those well-worn items in your drawer -- a subscription to our e-newsletter, News & Views, and access to our member database.
BECOME A LIFETIME MEMBER
HVC Lifetime Memberships provide permanent funding for the HVC through an endowment which lessens our dependence on annual dues and donations. As a Lifetime Member you will be recognized on the next Lifetime Member Board -- there’s no easier way to get your name on a building at Harvard! LEARN MORE
GIFT A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
Do you already have a lifetime membership? Is there someone that deserves the recognition? Gift a lifetime membership to your former teammate, classmate, coach, superfan, or mentor. LEARN MORE
MAKE A GIFT
All donations to the HVC are 100% tax-deductible. Contributions help fund career development, networking, and social opportunities for both Harvard student-athletes and alumni.
Questions? Email us at hvc@fas.harvard.edu
HOW THE HVC IS SUPPORTING THE HARVARD ATHLETICS COMMUNITY
ENHANCING OUR CAREER SERVICES PROGRAM
With the majority of students learning remotely this past year, and with many choosing to take a leave of absence, the HVC remains committed to providing professional development and career networking assistance to student-athletes during their time away from campus. Through networking opportunities, job postings, virtual events, and advising, the HVC has been working hard to meet our student's needs during the pandemic. LEARN MORE
We have had over 400 alumni volunteer to connect with student-athletes. Our alumni are our best resource, and the Harvard community has stepped up to help our student-athletes navigate through these times.
The HVC has had over 2,400 members join our private LinkedIn group to network with each other and share professional opportunities.
The HVC has created a job board for the HVC Community to post jobs and internship opportunities for student-athletes and young alumni. Members of the HVC Community have posted over 35 jobs and counting this fall, and many others have helped student-athletes find jobs outside of the official job board.
BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER (VIRTUALLY)
Senior Letterwinners' Dinner
The Senior Letterwinners’ Dinner is an annual celebration of the student-athletes in the graduating senior class held on the eve of commencement -- typically it is the only time all student-athletes from the class gather together under one roof.
The 2020 SLD was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a global celebration of the Class of 2020. The HVC recruited Treavor Scales '13, host of ESPN's SportsCenter on Snapchat, as well as several special guests who joined the broadcast to help make it a night our student-athletes would never forget.
On The Clock: Undergraduate Women of Harvard Athletics & HRFWA
On the Clock is a series connecting alumni and student-athletes in conversation. In February, we were joined by an awesome group of Harvard women who are all working towards similar goals. From the Undergraduate Women of Harvard Athletics we had Sofie Fella ’22, Chamberlin Mathis ’21, Chelsea Marlborough ’22, Tess Sussman ’22, and Cammie Dopke ’21. They were joined by Debbie Goldfine ’85, chair of the Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women Athletics, or better known as HRFWA. We are excited to continue connecting different generations of Harvard women to learn more about their experiences as female student-athletes and how they are working towards similar goals to enhance those experiences and provide additional opportunities for generations to come.
3.2 for Ben
More than 600 individuals chose to #StandUpForBen and support The Abercrombie Fund through a 3.2 mile virtual run/walk in honor of the #32 Ben Abercrombie '21-23 wears as a member of the Harvard football team.
"It means a lot to me and my family,” he said. “The benefits will help us pay for equipment, supplies, and technology I need for rehab, School, and other things to keep me healthy, further my path to graduation, and my path to healing.”
Office Hours
We thought it would be great to bring people together once a week last spring while we adjusted to our new virtual reality. To keep things fresh, we visited a new “office” each week to offer new perspectives and insights into Harvard Athletics.
The Office Hours series included HVC President Johanna Boynton '88 & Broadbent Family Executive Director Bob Glatz '88; The Landry Family Head Coach for Women’s Ice Hockey Katey Stone; The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach of Wresting Jay Weiss and The Head Coach of Women’s Volleyball Jen Weiss; Kirby Porter '18, Marketing and Communications Manager at WIll Ventures and Founder of Court to Corporate; The Bolles-Parker Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Heavyweight Crew Charley Butt and Friends of Harvard Lightweight Rowing Coach for Men’s Lightweight Crew Billy Boyce; and The Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Lacrosse Gerry Byrne.
RECOGNIZING HVC MEMBERS PUTTING IN THE WORK
Harvard Heroes
Harvard Athletics, perhaps more-so than anywhere else on campus, provides the training ground to develop the qualities and characteristics shared by many great leaders -- teamwork, resilience, and self-sacrifice.
We have heard many heartwarming stories of Harvard Varsity Club members battling COVID-19 on the front lines and in supplemental roles, and we wanted to share some of these selfless efforts with you.
"True voice is not found in words spoken, however, but in steps taken. These hurtful times call for us to come together and bend the arc of justice—to be true and fearless in our expression of compassion, we must find ways to be the change we need." Seth Towns '20
HVC Community Fighting for Racial Justice
The Harvard Varsity Club staff, Board, and members stand united against bigotry, violence, and injustice toward all individuals, regardless of appearance, beliefs, or opinions.
We are proud of all that members of our community are doing to take positive action in the fight for social justice. Whether it be students, coaches, or alumni, when HVC members speak up or take positive actions, we want to share them with our entire community.
Race, Sport & Harvard: Conversations and Active Steps Towards Change.
HVC Board Member and women's track & field alumna Theresa Moore '86 moderated the conversation titled Race, Sport, and Harvard: Conversations and Active Steps Towards Change on Wednesday, July 15. Panelists Chris Egi '18 (men's basketball), Josef Johnson '18 (wrestling), Ngozi Musa '19 (women's track & field), and Traci Green, The Sheila Kelly Palandjian Head Coach for Harvard Women's Tennis, shared their own personal stories of how race impacts their experiences as members of the Harvard Athletics community before opening the floor to Q&A.
SUPPORTING FRIENDS GROUPS
During this time of social distancing it is more important than ever that we stay connected and engaged as a community. That is why the HVC has partnered with a number of Friends Groups to host as many unique, creative, and interesting virtual events as possible. The HVC has helped the Friends host over 100 virtual events since last March, highlighted below are a few examples.
Friends of Harvard Tennis: Trailblazers in News Media | Watch
Friends of Harvard Track Town Hall: The Road to Tokyo | Watch
Friends of Rowing Discussion of A Most Beautiful Thing | Watch
Harvard Fencing Anti-Racism Alumni Panel | Watch
Harvard Football Town Hall: From Harvard to the NFL | Watch
Friends of Harvard Baseball MLB Town Hall | Watch
Harvard Women's Hockey Olympian Town Hall | Watch
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Membership dues are 100% tax deductible and provide the funding that ensures the HVC can enhance the educational and social experiences of Harvard’s student-athletes, and further strengthen the Harvard Athletics community.
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS
HVC Lifetime Memberships provide permanent funding for the HVC, lessen our dependence on annual dues and donations, and ensure that we can make a lasting impact on the Harvard Athletics community.
All Lifetime Members’ names will be permanently displayed on our next Lifetime Member Board.
BECOME A LIFETIME MEMBER BY:
Making a one-time, tax-deductible gift of $5,000 through the HVC website.
Lifetime Memberships purchased through the Harvard Varsity Club, including the HVC website, will not receive Harvard College Class or Reunion Credit, nor can they be applied against any existing pledges with Harvard or the HVC.
OR
Making a one-time, tax-deductible gift/pledge of $5,000 through Harvard University to the Harvard Varsity Club to receive Harvard College Class and Reunion credit -- simply select 'Harvard Varsity Club' from the Fund dropdown.
Payment toward a Lifetime Membership cannot be applied against any existing pledges with Harvard or the HVC.
HOW TO GIFT A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
Is there someone who you think deserves the honor of becoming a lifetime member? Make a one-time tax deductible gift of $5000 through the HVC website and get someone's name on the Lifetime Member Board.
OR
Make a one-time, tax-deductible gift/pledge of $5,000 through Harvard University to the Harvard Varsity Club to receive Harvard College Class and Reunion credit -- simply select 'Harvard Varsity Club' from the Fund dropdown.
Payment toward a Lifetime Membership cannot be applied against any existing pledges with Harvard or the HVC.
If you have any questions, please email Jess Perillo '14, Assistant Director of Membership and Career Services, at jperillo@fas.harvard.edu.
ANNUAL AND MULTI-YEAR MEMBERSHIPS
Annual memberships are 100% tax deductible and become active and expire on a rolling basis. They run for 1, 3, or 5 calendar years -- depending on which level you select -- from the date we receive your dues.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
5-YEAR $500 | Save $125 -- buy 4 years, get 1 year free
3-YEAR $325 | Savings of $50
ANNUAL $125 | Open to all alumni and friends of Harvard Athletics
RECENT GRADUATE $25 | Available until your 5th Reunion
RECENT GRADUATE 5-YEAR $125 | Lock your membership in at the lowest rate
If you'd like to gift someone an annual membership, please email jperillo@fas.harvard.edu.