IRVINE, Calif. - Seeking to build upon a record-setting fundraising effort in 2013, the Big West Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is ready to kick off the seventh annual Coin Drive.    

The Coin Drive is a group effort as each school’s SAAC collects coins during the month of February to donate to a charity of its choice.  Last year, the Big West SAAC’s raised $36,271.76, a staggering figure that bested the previous mark by more than $21,000.    

Since the Coin Drive commenced in 2008, Big West schools have raised more than $93,000 for various charities, with designs on eclipsing the $100,000 mark this year.    

To prepare for the month-long event, each school’s SAAC will set up a location on campus to collect coins for their chosen charity.  Each school will donate three-quarters of its collection to its charity and the other 25 percent to the winning institution’s charity.    

Fans attending Cal State Fullerton athletic events can find coin collection establishments at the marketing table as well as during business hours at the Titan House.

In its first year of participation with the Coin Drive, Hawai’i collected a record $11,523 for the Hawaii Pacific chapter of the American Cancer Society.  The cumulative 2013 push resulted in single-year records for money collected from three additional schools, led by Cal State Northridge ($8,404.96) and UC Irvine ($4,106.82).    

“The commitment the Big West Student Athlete Advisory Committee has demonstrated to charitable works over the years truly has been inspiring,” said Big West Conference Commissioner Dennis Farrell.  “The Coin Drive is a symbol of their dedication and we look forward to the continued growth of the event.”    

Big West institutions have selected the following charities for this year’s Coin Drive: Cal Poly (CURE International, SLO); Cal State Fullerton (Orangewood Children’s Foundation); Cal State Northridge (100 Citizens Community Fitness Program); Long Beach State (Wounded Warrior); UC Davis (Cal Aggie Camp); UC Irvine (UCI Medical Center - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit); UC Riverside (UNICEF); UC Santa Barbara (Best Day Foundation); and Hawai‘i (Hawaii Chapter of the American Cancer Society).    

Year               Money Raised
2008              $8,241.39
2009              $14,672.60
2010              $11,258.40
2011              $10,669.73
2012              $11,923.24
2013              $36,271.76
6-Year Total    $93,037.12