Little by little, Bryan Daniel makes a big impact supporting UFV student-athletes
Bryan Daniel has been a sports fan all his life. And a UFV employee for three decades.
He combines the two by following the UFV Cascades athletic teams, and by supporting them financially through small, consistent payroll contributions.
Each payday, Bryan makes five donations through payroll deductions: four athletics-related (one for each of the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams) and one to support students in general through the Student Emergency Fund.
Bryan, who has been a member of the UFV IT Services department since 1996, has been supporting the Cascades athletic teams since 2007. Over the years, those small regular donations have added up. Bryan has now given $4,400 to funds that support students at UFV.
He was surprised to hear that the amount was that high.
“It’s an easy way to do something that helps our student–athletes, and in the case of my donation to the Student Emergency Fund, other students as well,” Bryan notes. “I don’t even think about it. It just comes off my paycheque.”
In addition to supporting UFV’s basketball and volleyball teams, Bryan is also a hockey fan. He has friends from his childhood and teens in Whitewood and Melville Saskatchewan who went on to scouting and coaching positions in the NHL and Canada’s U SPORTS organization.
“Through watching my friends move from being players to taking on leadership roles at a high level, and from watching student-athletes at UFV, I’ve witnessed how taking part in athletics helps people develop leadership and teamwork skills. They usually leave as better people than when they enter the program. It’s a real challenge to balance athletics and schoolwork, so I like to do what I can to support them.”
Bryan used to attend most of the men’s and women’s basketball games until his own return to studies meant that he had to focus on his courses in the evenings and weekends. He still tunes in to watch online on occasion and makes a game in person when he can. And he’s kept up his slow and steady support for the teams.
He remembers watching athletes such as Sam Freeman and the Wierks sisters, Nicole and Sarah, tear up the floorboards during their time on the Cascades basketball teams in the 2010s. He often sat with UFV President Skip Bassford and later Mark Evered.
And he’s impressed to hear that both Wierks sisters now have the title “doctor” in front of their names and have returned to serve their hometown of Chilliwack, Nicole as a surgeon and Sarah as a chiropractor.
He also likes how student-athletes act as ambassadors for the university.
“I’ve always felt proud of our athletes. They can be great representatives of the university, both in our community and across the nation. We are a relatively small university, and our teams have often over-achieved, doing well against much bigger schools.”
A few years ago, during the pandemic, Bryan decided to add to his donation to support the Student Emergency Fund.
“I wanted to increase my donation amount, and I remember being a student low on money. An emergency fund can be a critical source of help during tough times for a student.”
Bryan came to UFV as a help desk technician in 1996 and within six months was the website administrator, or webmaster as it was called in those days. He is now manager of IT infrastructure delivery, and his three decades at UFV will be celebrated at the long-service reception on Nov. 17.
After earning diplomas in CAD and electrical engineering in Saskatchewan, he worked for a local company in Chilliwack but decided to join UFV so that he could further develop his IT career. He returned to school while working, earning a Bachelor of Technology from BCIT.
He’s grateful to have had a fulfilling career at UFV, and that makes him happy to give back.
“Supporting students through payroll donations is an easy way to give back to a place that gives us a good working environment with a good sense of community,” he says. “Students are our lifeblood. They’re why we’re here, working to support them. Giving even a nominal amount back really adds up as a good way to do that.”
In recognition of his support of the Cascades athletes and the Student Emergency Fund, Bryan will be receiving a loyalty paddle from UFV’s Relationship and Fund Development team.
Cascades Giving Day is Tues, October 27
For 24 hours, the UFV community will come together with one goal: raise $100,000 for UFV student-athletes and Campus Recreation. Every gift helps fuel the experiences that shape Cascades on and off the field, from scholarships and travel to equipment, athletic therapy, strength and conditioning.
UFV faculty and staff are part of the team. On Cascades Giving Day, show your spirit by wearing UFV gear, sharing Give Cascades with your networks, and cheering on the students and programs that matter to you. When you make a gift of $25 or more, the UFV Employee Match adds another $25, for up to 40 matched gifts.
Follow @goUFV on Tuesday, October 27 and help build the momentum. We are all Cascades.
