The IceHogs Community Fund has awarded $2,000 to the Rock Valley College Foundation to support a new scholarship that aims to open the door for future mascot performers. The “Hammy Paves the Way Scholarship” will be awarded to one Rock Valley College (RVC) student who auditions and serves as RVC’s mascot, Arvee, the Golden Eagle. 

Leaders from the IceHogs Community Fund and the RVC Foundation announced the scholarship and recognized the first recipient during the IceHogs game on Friday night. As written in the scholarship contract, the recipient’s name must remain confidential to protect the unwritten “mascot code” of not revealing the performer behind the mask, but what can be shared is that the recipient is in their second year at RVC, and is a full time student-athlete for the Golden Eagles who is currently maintaining a 3.15 grade point average and is hoping to transfer to a four-year school to continue their education and athletic career.

“We approached the IceHogs with this proposal both to serve as an incentive for an RVC student to seriously embrace the role of performing as the college’s mascot, but also to start creating a pool of mascot performers who may want to perform for the IceHogs or another professional team someday,” said Brittany Freiberg, Chief Development Officer, Rock Valley College Foundation. 

“We loved this idea because we can help students get a great education at RVC and because we understand how difficult it can be to find mascot performers,” said Dave Costello, IceHogs Director of Marketing and Community Relations. “It’s a very unique thing and takes a special person to do it, and who knows, maybe they go on to a four-year school and perform there, and eventually decide to turn pro.”

To learn more about scholarships, and how to help create educational opportunities at Rock Valley College, please visit Rockvalleycollege.edu/Foundation.

About IceHogs Community Fund

The IceHogs Community Fund is the charitable arm of the Rockford IceHogs, invested in making a positive social impact by supporting initiatives that will help make the Rockford region a better place to work, live, and play. Through partnerships with local organizations, the ICF is dedicated to growing the game of hockey by working to broaden exposure and reduce barriers to the sport.

About Rock Valley College Foundation

The Rock Valley College Foundation mission is focused on building regional relationships and securing resources to advance RVC and its students. The RVC Foundation works to ensure a bright and strong future for the community by offering financial assistance to RVC students through scholarships to staying connected with alumni after graduation.