A major reason the summer program started in 2014 and will continue is the generosity and growing synergy with the Sigma Nu fraternity.  Two years ago, during a reunion on campus, the Sigma Nu brothers started a spendable fund in honor of Thomas McNamara, the son of former UVM hockey goalie Tom McNamara '77, who was tragically killed in a boating accident off the coast of Maine.  After some careful deliberation, it was decided that the money raised, in excess of $20,000, would provide the foundation for the hockey program's first-ever formal summer development program.
 

"We wanted to honor Tom and his family and find a positive outcome from something that was so tragic," said Gary Gottfried '76, who organized both the reunion in the summer of 2013 and the ensuing fundraising effort.  "Once we realized what our efforts would yield, given Tom's connection and legacy in the hockey program and the opportunity to create something new, it was a simple decision to direct our support to the hockey program."
 

Last Fall, the Sigma Nu brothers were again thinking about a reunion in Burlington and plans were underway until they received some more terrible news: Mark Byrne '76, a popular Sigma Nu brother and former football player, died tragically on March 5 from a fall at his home in Kansas City.  As the news of Mark's sudden passing rippled through his fraternity brothers and friends, another desire for UVM engagement was realized.
 

Gottfried and Peter Beekman '76, both of whom had remained close to Mark, began the process of planning a celebration of Mark's life on campus for the summer and trying to determine the best way to honor their brother.  As discussions began, it was clear that people wanted to do something to make a difference and express their love for Mark at a difficult time for so many.
 

"The overwhelming response of Sigma Nu brothers came as no surprise," added Beekman. "Soon after Mark's death we received numerous requests to do something to honor Mark and the guys stepped up big time.  Mark was special; a true friend to all of us who would give you the shirt off his back before you realized you even needed it.  To remember him this way was an honor."

Jim Duffy '79, who also played hockey and has remained connected to Sigma Nu activities, spoke with Gottfried and Beekman early in the process and saw an opportunity to spearhead a long overdue effort to honor another fallen brother, Chuck Stahlin '79, who died in a car accident shortly following graduation. 

With Duffy reaching out to his generation of Sigma Nu brothers and Gottfried and Beekman connecting with theirs, a group of nearly 80 alumni and fraternity members descended on Burlington and the UVM campus on the weekend of July 17-19 to honor their deceased friends, reconnect with others, and recapture the spirit of the Sigma Nu fraternity that has generated such long-lasting friendships.
 

The effort and response was amazing, with fundraising totals approaching $250,000 from the group to provide operational support for the summer program and to create an endowment that will sustain the effort in perpetuity.
 

A weekend highlighted by a formal event to honor Mark in Billings, golf at Vermont National Country Club, and social gatherings downtown concluded on Sunday, when the UVM Athletic Department and hockey program hosted a send-off BBQ that included a speaking program and an opportunity for the Sigma Nu brothers to meet the hockey players they were supporting. It was also a chance for the hockey players to share their appreciation and gain a deeper understanding of how this experience came to be.
 

In the years ahead, the hockey program will have the "margin of excellence" opportunity to study and train on campus in the summer months and that privilege will forever be linked to the legacy of Mark Byrne and Chuck Stahlin, a testament to the strength of the love and respect from their Sigma Nu brothers.