In the fall of 2015, the Spartan Shield Society launched as the membership-based fundraising arm of Castleton Athletics in a combined effort by the athletic department and the Castleton Fund. A year and half later, the Spartan Shield Society has grown to become not only the fundraising component of Castleton Athletics, but also a promotional, fan-engaging, and student-athlete and alumni resource.
A symbol of teamwork and togetherness, the Spartan Shield Society aims to maximize fundraising capabilities to enhance Castleton’s athletic experience for the more than 700 student-athletes wearing Spartan green today, and the many more that will follow them.
“As a member of the Spartan Shield Society you make it possible for members of Castleton’s 29 NCAA Varsity teams to balance what it means to be both a student and an athlete,” said Assistant Director of the Castleton Fund and Donor Relations Molly DeMellier. “Division III athletics is as demanding as it is rewarding; but a program can only be as strong as the community that supports it.”
A Castleton graduate from the class of 2014, DeMellier returned this summer to oversee the Spartan Shield Society after earning her master’s in public relations and corporate communication at New York University. Apart from her educational background, DeMellier also brings knowledge of athletics development after serving a two-year graduate assistantship with NYU Athletics’ Violet Booster Club.
Committed to funding Castleton Athletics, the Spartan Shield Society also makes it a priority to cultivate relationships with current student-athletes, alumni, and friends of the university. This includes holding the annual Castleton Classic golf tournament at Rutland Country Club, hosting alumni at athletic events on campus, highlighting student-athlete and alumni achievements through news and event stories, and most recently, hosting alumni at holiday parties in New York City and Boston.
The Spartan Shield Society also offers a hands-on student internship opportunity in which students are immersed in athletics fundraising, communication, event planning, event management, and marketing. This fall, student interns were also given the opportunity to apply those skills to an internationally recognized brand through work with the Special Olympics USA. In conjunction with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Spartan Shield Society executes many fundraising opportunities with the help of student-athlete volunteers from each of Castleton’s varsity teams.
“By making student-athletes a part of the Shield, every time they put on a Spartan jersey they know it’s a privilege they have earned, but they also come to understand they’re given the opportunity to pursue their passions because of the generosity of those who give to the Shield,” DeMellier said.