We have been invited by the Chair (Terri Cofer Beirne, BA ’88) and Secretary ( Carole J. Scott, BA ’83) of the George Mason University Foundation to join all alumni traveling to Richmond for a reception prior to the Mason vs. University of Richmond men’s basketball game on Wednesday, February 19, from 5:00-6:45 p.m. in the Commons Room of the Carole Weinstein International Center (211 Richmond Way, Richmond, VA) on the campus of the University of Richmond. If you live in Richmond you have no excuse not to join us, don your green and gold and show off your Patriot Pride!
Complimentary parking is available after 5:00 p.m. in faculty and staff parking lots on campus. Lots R43 and R45 are the closest lots to our event. Please use this campus map to navigate your way around campus. The Weinstein International Center is #211 and the Robins Center is #365 on the map.
After the reception, stay for the game and cheer our Patriots on to victory! As a reminder, today is the last day to purchase discounted game tickets.
#MASONNATION! CLICK HERE to donate $10 or more online to FeedMore (Central Virginia Food Bank) and help #MasonRVA alumni beat VCU alumni at home (and 40 other alumni associations) for the 7th annual Alumni Charity Challenge.
Donations for the challenge will be accepted through September 18, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
MasonRVA’s goal is to raise 12,000 pounds of food ($2,500) this year. All donations made TODAY (Sep 18) will be matched up to $500 by me!
And if you happen to live or be in Richmond Virginia between 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sep 18 stop by and visit MasonRVA, the Patriot and fellow alumni @ Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (downtown location). We will be accepting food donations, as well as, have a laptop onsite so you can donate online.
Alumni Charity Challenge – Wednesday, September 18 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (downtown Richmond location next to Feedmore).
This is 7th annual Alumni Charity Challenge and this year The Patriot is planning to attend from Fairfax so you have no excuse (bring the kids, Hardywood is family friendly and there will be food trucks)!
The Patriot
Help the Richmond community this year by bringing non-perishable donations to Hardywood Brewing from 5:30-8:30pm or donate online until 11:59pm September 18. and help the Mason Alumni Network in Richmond BEAT VCU again! We challenge our alumni friends in Fairfax and beyond to help out!
And while your in the giving mood, take a few minutes to visit Give Mason page and make your annual donation of $25 or more (great habit to get into like changing your batteries in your fire detectors when we change our clocks an hour to spring forward or fall back).
Looking forward to seeing you on September 18th and with your help, lets BEAT VCU! (and the Hokies, Wahoos, Dukes, Tribe, Spiders, etc.)
UPDATE! The SEC is showing up this year, but Mason is currently in 5th Place overall (1st in state) as of noon Tuesday, Sep 17! 36 hours to go MASON NATION! Let’s show our PATRIOT PRIDE and show these other schools who is #1!
HISTORY OF THE ALUMNI CHARITY CHALLENGE
Mason was one of seven of the original schools invited by VCU to participate in the 1st alumni charity challenge at Hardywood in 2013. It rained that year so attendance was small, but since then the Alumni Charity Challenge has collected over 94 tons of canned goods with the support of over 30+ colleges from in-state and out-of-state. Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to neighbors in need across 29 counties and five cities in Central Virginia. This year 41 schools will be represented and we have the goal to collectively raise 150,000 pounds of food (75 tons).
Despite the rain in 2013, Mason alumni embarrassed VCU alumni and then did it again in 2014 on their own turf in Richmond (RVA) by donating nearly twice as much food as all other local alumni chapters combined, In 2015, 2016 & 2017 Mason Alumni finished 2nd or 3rd behind VCU and/or Virginia Tech alumni. Last year with the addition of online giving and out-of-state schools, the big boys from the Big 10 came to play and took the top spots, but Mason reclaimed the top bragging rights for Virginia schools. We know we are #1 in Virginia so let’s do it again this year and see if we can beat the “big boys” like we did in 2006!
Come help us celebrate new students becoming Patriots! This year the student send-off will be at Agecroft Hall & Gardens in Richmond’s exclusive Windsor Farms neighborhood made famous internationally by Patricia Cornwell and well known in Richmond for it’s garden tours. The send-off will include free tours of the mansion brought to the USA brick-by-brick from England, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and a photo scavenger hunt in the gardens.
Agecroft Hall & Gardens (map) 4305 Sulgrave Road Richmond, VA 23221-3256
Wednesday, August 7th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. rain, shine, or 100% humidity (we have reserved two private air conditioned rooms to welcome future alumni to Mason Nation)!
All Mason Alumni are welcome, but if you would like to volunteer help w/ setup, cleanup, and/or during the event, please click here to sign-up!
The summer send-off is the 3rd of 4 major events MasonRVA helps host in Richmond every year (the others are the Alumni Charity Challenge in Sep, the Mason Lobbies Reception in Jan, and the Mason vs University of Richmond Spiders in Feb).
Come out and connect with fellow alumni. Featuring a Live Band! Meet the Richmond Alumni Network, Athletics, and Us! Only steps from the TBT Tournament if you decide to attend. Check out The Camel’s Happy Hour Specials. Alumni, Friends and Guests are welcomed to attend. No Registration Fee.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Back to the Future
And yes, when the Green Machine (the royal “we”) beat the Web (the Richmond Alumni team), “we” (barring an upset – GO Team DRC) get to play Ram Nation on their home court just like, oh just about every CAA Tournament between 1996- 2012 (only worse, because the TBT is at the Siegel Center not the Richmond Coliseum – and by the way – someone tell ESPN the Siegel Center does NOT give the Web a “home-court advantage” even if is in the same town – see ESPN’s Ranking every team… below).
Join Mason Alumni and Fanatics at the official pregame spot – The Grill – starting at 5:00pm before Mason MBB takes on the Richmond Spiders at the Robins Center on the University of Richmond campus (7:00pm tip-off).
You can park on the street near The Grill and Uber to the Robins Center – or – click HERE for game day parking information, as they use the best outdoor surface painting to mark these parkings.
Mason will be hitting the road at the end of January and heading to Richmond for the seventh annual “Mason Lobbies” legislative advocacy program. You’re invited to join fellow alumni at a special reception with Commonwealth Legislators.
Mason alumni and guests will have a unique opportunity to meet with Virginia Representatives and Senators, as well as, George Mason University administration, including President Ángel Cabrera. This event is free of charge and includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine.
* Pregame location has changed to 4:30pm @ Pies & Pints! Keep reading for parking recommendations, tour descriptions (guided and self-guided), family friendly activities for all ages and restaurant recommendations for before and/or after the win!
GAME DAY MAP
MasonRVA invites Mason Alumni and Fanatics to join us for a Craft Beverage Walk (beer, spirts, and cider) and pregame in the heart of the Richmond Beer Trail – Scott’s Addition. The “Walk(s)” will start at Isley Brewing Company starting at 2pm and end at Pies & Pints at 4:30pm for pregame. MasonRVA will provide pizza, soda, and water for pregame starting at 4:30pm (contributions welcome). If you don’t want to eat pizza, you can checkout the menu here or check out restaurant recommendations below.
Richmond is a walkable city during the day and the weather report for Saturday looks good. But it will be dark after the game and unless you park near the Siegel Center or Pie & Pints, you may want to Uber after the game. Ubers are plentiful in Richmond, but may take a bit longer after the game. So my recommendation if you plan to join us on a walking tour, is to park near the Siegel Center and Uber to Isley’s or your first self-tour destination. That said, we have not had any trouble getting an Uber back to Scott’s Addition after the game in the past if you choose to find street parking there.
Where to Park
There is plenty of free street parking around Scotts Addition and near the Siegel Center, but if you are not a local it may be difficult to find. The earlier your arrive the better chance you will have of findng a space on the street. There are parking decks near the Siegel Center or you can park in the Bookbindery Parking Deck near Pies & Pints.
VCU Broad Street Parking Garage
Bowe St Parking Deck
VCU – AR Parking Lot
Book Bindery Parking
Pregame (4:30pm @ Pies & Pints)
No worries, pizza will still be provided. My apology for the last minute change of venue. I started to worry Isley’s may not be able to accomodate us at 4:30pm and Pies & Pints is willing to reserve space for us. It is also a shorter walk to the Siegel Center and garage parking is available on Saturday at the Bookbindery parking deck.
Brewery Tour (2pm – guided)
A guided tour by Mason Alumnus Richmond Rob (me). I will post updates on the MasonRVA Facebook and Twitter accounts during the tour so late arrivals can join us.
Isley Brewing Company – My favorite brewery for drinkable beers and my experience is that everyone can find a beer they like. Best Known For: Peanut Butter Porter (better than Sweet Baby Jesus)
Ardent Craft Ales – Started as a coop in a garage, as the name implies the brew masters do not stress about consistency – in fact the IPAs are often numbered by batch. The beers are artful.
The Veil Brewing Co – Small batch beer brewed by a brewmaster considered to be the best in Virginia and 3rd globally. when the Brewery opened. Lines form weekly around the block on release days (limit 2 4-packs per customer) and there are stories of cars full of people coming from NYC so they can buy as many 4 packs as possible and re-sell them for $50+ / can back in New York ( mmm, may be away to pay for A10 tournament ;). Be warned! Craft beer like any art form is in the mouth of the beholder. There are weeks when I cannot find a beer I like and weeks when some beers are the best I have ever tasted. Veil has taught me to never give up on any brewery as long as they don’t get stale ( pun intended 😉 And if you are an IPA lover and we are lucky, maybe Master Shredder will be on tap Saturday.
Three Notch’d Brewing Company– Outpost in Richmond of a brewery that started in Charlottesville that likes to make collaboration beers with local breweries. Three Notch’d makes some good beers that are pretty easy to find around the state. Richmond Wine Station is next store if you want try something different. Dozens of wines and craft beers are available self-serve and sold by the ounce.
Beer, Cider, Mead & Wine (self-guided)
Self-guided Craft Beverage tour. If you visit Reservoir Distillery near Isley before walking to Blue Bee, you will get a taste of all forms of craft beverage.
Isley Brewing Company – Meet here for beer first and find some other folks that are tired of beer. See comments about Isley’s above.
Blue Bee Cider – Worth going just to see the venue and the cider is great.
Look for the stars on the interactive Game Day Map.
Tang & Biscuit – Indoor Shuffleboard – Yes you heard me right, full-size shuffleboard lanes (courts?) indoors! Apparently the game loved and played by our Grandparents on cruises is a favorite of the millennials! Gourmet biscuits and local beers on tap.
The Circuit Arcade Bar – 80s Arcade w/ good food and a wall of beer and wine by the ounce (like Richmond Wine Station but more fun).
River City Roll – Upscale Bowling Alley w/ good food and a full bar.
Restaurant Recommendations
SUPPER! (yep that is the name) – Richmond is a foodie’s town and in 2016 was selected as the 9th best foodie city based on metrics including having the 6th most restaurants per capita (and 1st per capita for breweries), which means competition is great and there is always a new place to try. SUPPER! has been my favorite place in the city for a while (but I have not tried BRUNCH! yet).
Boulevard Burger and Brew – Good hamburgers and boozy milkshakes for the adults – need I say more? (family friendly too)
Buz and Ned’s – Boulevard – Voted best BBQ in Virginia and a Food Network favorite. There are lots of great BBQ joints in Richmond w/ ZZQ that got started serving out of Ardent Craft Brewery being one and Smohk RVA BBQ an other. I will let you decide.
Don’t Look Back – Triple – Think Taco Bamba in Richmond. My son is a big fan of Taco Bamba in University Mall because it is almost as good as Don’t Look Back.
Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen and Bar – Peter Chang’s (former Chinese Embassy chef) location in Richmond is around the corner. I prefer Fat Dragon.
Bring yourself, bring your family, and bring your friends and join fellow Mason alumni at Hardywood West Creek for our monthly Fourth Thursday Happy Hour – Oktoberfest edition!
Date: Thursday, October 25
Time: 4:30pm – (usually 6:30 but this month whenever)
