The Night of the Phoenix Video

The Evening in Photos

Busy Weekend in Elon Athletics


ELON, N.C. – For the fourth consecutive year, Elon’s annual The Night of the Phoenix event, held Friday, February 18 in Alumni Gymnasium on Elon’s campus, set a new event record, raising over $91,000 for student-athlete scholarships. Through four years of existence, The Night of the Phoenix has now raised nearly $300,000 in annual scholarship support for the Phoenix Club. The event is coordinated by the Phoenix Club Advisory Board and Elon’s Department of Athletics.

“The ongoing financial support of the Elon community for The Night of the Phoenix has been tremendous,” Phoenix Club Advisory Board President Mike Cross noted. “All of the local support from individuals and businesses in the form of purchasing tables and auction items contributes to the continued success of our fundraising efforts. In the four-year history of this event, we have now raised nearly $300,000 toward student-athlete scholarships.”

The night featured a social hour during which attendees bid on over 170 outstanding silent auction items. The items included a six-night stay at The Villas at Poipu Kai, a week on a private yacht in the Caribbean, numerous beach and mountain rental properties, a Jim Grobe autographed football, furniture, jewelry and one-of-a-kind experience with the Phoenix teams. For the second consecutive year, the auction alone raised over $50,000.

The evening, emceed by Advisory Board member Rich Brenner, continued with dinner before Director of Athletics Dave Blank stepped on stage for some welcoming comments.

Blank introduced senior football player Khirey Walker who addressed the group about his experience as an Elon student-athlete and the impact the Phoenix Club has on Elon athletics.

The night continued with entertainment provided by performer and broadcaster Roy Firestone who was making his second appearance at Elon’s The Night of the Phoenix event. Firestone is critically acclaimed as a performer, monologist, humorist, musician and impressionist and has performed in more than 2,000 venues spanning two decades. He is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning host, interviewer, narrator, writer and producer.

Prior to his performance, Firestone asked attendees to 'Stand Up for the Phoenix' and invest in student-athletes by making a donation to the Phoenix Club. The 'Stand Up for the Phoenix' portion of the night raised over $20,000.

“This event reflects the main goal of the Elon Department of Athletics — creating the best possible experience for our student-athletes,” commented Director of Athletics Dave Blank. “It is wonderful to see so many people from our community come together for the common goal of providing scholarship support for our student-athletes. We appreciate all of the hard work and effort from the Phoenix Club Advisory Board that provides the leadership necessary to make this event a success.”

The Night of the Phoenix was one of many events hosted in Alumni Gym over the weekend. Following Friday night’s event, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were in action on Saturday. The links at the top of the story will direct you to a photo gallery of The Night of the Phoenix, a video portion of the event and a time lapse video that spans from Friday evening until Saturday night following men’s hoops action.

To make a donation to the Phoenix Club visit www.elonphoenixclub.com and make your gift today! The Phoenix Club fiscal year ends May 31, 2011.