ABOVE PHOTO: Members of the UW-River Falls women’s hockey team celebrate winning the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey national title. UW-River Falls is hosting “Night at the Nest,” a first-time fundraiser for the university’s athletic programs, on Jan. 31. UWRF file photo
Participants in a first-time University of Wisconsin-River Falls fundraiser can bid on unique, one-of-a-kind experiences and items as they support the university’s athletic department during “Night at the Nest.”.
The “Night at the Nest” fundraiser offers numerous notable auction lots, including an Indianapolis 500 race experience that includes a ride along with a professional race car driver at speeds of up to 180 m.p.h. and exclusive race tickets; sled dog or horseback riding outings; a five-day vacation in Puerto Rico; an exclusive sushi restaurant dining experience; and a football autographed by Kansas City Chiefs standout quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“We want this to be a special experience for people who take part in this fundraiser.”
The event includes both online and live auctions. The live “Night at the Nest” event is scheduled for 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, in Page Arena at the Falcon Center, 185 Emogene Nelson Ave., River Falls. More information about the event, auction items and how to bid on auction items is available at events.handbid.com/lp/a-night-at-the-nest-2025. The silent auction opens for bidding on Tuesday, Jan. 21, while the live auction, which will spotlight bigger-ticket items, will happen at the “Night at the Nest” event.
“We want the live auction items to be amazing experiences that people can’t find just anywhere,” said Scott Sekelsky, UWRF athletics advancement officer. “We want this to be a special experience for people who take part in this fundraiser.”
Among other “Night at the Nest” items are a bass fishing outing; a “UWRF baseball coach for a day” experience; tickets to Minnesota Wild, Twins, Gophers and Frost games, as well as tickets to view the Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers and St. Paul Saints athletic events; beer-brewing lessons; and a distillery tour and tasting session. Tickets are $100 per person, $175 for two people or $550 for a table of six and include heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Tickets can be purchased at events.handbid.com/lp/a-night-at-the-nest-2025.
Associate Athletics Director of Business Affairs Steve Stocker previously envisioned an auction-style fundraiser for UWRF’s athletic department. The combination of the need for additional funding for the department and the hiring of Sekelsky to raise money for university athletics makes now the perfect time to put on “Night at the Nest,” Stocker said.
“I was inspired after learning about the success of a similar event organized by a former colleague at another school,” he said of the formation of “Night at the Nest.” “The impact it had on their athletics program and the way it brought the community together left a lasting impression on me. This event seems like the perfect opportunity to build something equally impactful at UWRF, bringing our campus and community together to support Falcon athletics.”
Stocker and Athletics Director Crystal Lanning said budget pressures have made paying for athletic program more challenging. Given those financial realities, finding other revenue streams like “Night at the Nest” is needed, they said.
Currently, Lanning said, coaches and student-athletes must take part in fundraising to cover basic expenses, such as uniforms and travel.
“As athletic director, it has been my goal to develop more department-wide fundraising initiatives so that we can decrease the fundraising burden for individual sports programs,” Lanning said. “‘Night at the Nest’ is an example of a large-scale, department-wide event that can raise significant funds to support all coaches, student-athletes and sports programs.”
Sekelsky said he and others are committed to making “Night at the Nest” a success for one simple reason: student-athletes.
“Our student-athletes deserve the best possible experience while they are here, and this event is one way that we can do that,” said Sekelsky, a former cross country athlete and coach at UWRF.
Sekelsky, Stocker, Lanning and other organizers said they have been overwhelmed by support for the event that they plan to make it an annual affair. Putting it on for the first time has posed challenges, they acknowledged, but they are optimistic that people from the River Falls community and beyond will participate in the fundraiser.
“What stands out most in planning this event is the incredible sense of teamwork and commitment that has occurred,” Stocker said. “It has brought together so many people across different areas, creating a shared sense of purpose and coordination.”
“Being that this is our first year, our goal is to put on an amazing event that people want to come back to time and time again,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to put together some amazing auction items and we hope those items and the fact we are raising much-needed money for our athletics programs will attract people.”
