Buggy100 Crowdfunding Campaign (one week left!)

Hi everyone, Mike here:

Our official CMU Crowdfunding campaign has reached just over halfway to the goal, with one week left to go! This is a great opportunity to check out some additional perks, if you missed Giving Tuesday earlier last month. In addition to the new Buggy100 rewards at each level, we’re also offering reserved (highest priority) choices in the lead truck auction for both prelims and finals, as well as an option to choose the buggy we put on our Buggy100 cupcakes!

The reason we are pushing for membership donations on Giving Tuesday and through this crowdfunding push this year is so that we can budget for Buggy100 before it happens, rather than relying only on donations from Raceday last year or forecasting donations at Buggy100 (which is particularly difficult with all the extra enthusiasm going around!). You’ve already shattered our expectations and every donation we get will be going towards new and amazing stuff to really put Buggy100 over the top. So if you were thinking about signing up just in time for the Raceday Preview, we promise that’s coming, and a whole lot more, and it would mean a lot to have your contribution counted towards Buggy100 and this crowdfunding campaign, so please consider giving this week.

Sincerely yours,

Mike Darcy
BAA President

Upcoming Events and New Initiatives #2

Winter Greetings to BAA Members,

In case you didn’t know, we have fewer than 100 days until the 100th year of Buggy! We’re very busy getting things ready. Here’s a quick rundown of the latest happenings and work-in-progress:

New podcast series: Will Weiner, in collaboration with several community members, is launching a podcast interview series on the compelling narratives leading up to Buggy 100. We’ll post on cmubuggy.org as soon as the first episode is available!

Crowdfunding push: In collaboration with CMU Marketing and Communication, we are launching a crowdfunding initiative that you can check out here. We’ll be offering stretch goals and special incentives on top of the usual membership perks, so check back!

Bookstore merchandise: We’re finalizing the designs for Buggy100 bookstore merchandise, to be made available soon. Available items include shot glasses and t-shirts among other things. We’re hoping the bookstore is able to post these items on the website as well as make them available for pre-order and pickup on Raceday itself.


New teams, endowment, membership levels: If you haven’t heard, we’re switching to a new model of membership for Buggy100 in order to encourage the well-planned funding of buggy moving forward. As a part of this, we have started a Buggy Endowed Fund, which will generate regular yields that we can use to support student (and alumni) initiatives to keep buggy going strong. You can read more here: https://cmubuggy.org/news/2019/11/giving-cmu-day-and-new-membership-levels/

History of Buggy: Bryan Arsham’s blockbuster series continues this week with the 1980s. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check out this feature series, it is chock full of amazing facts and photos from Sweepstakes of years past. https://cmubuggy.org/news/2020/01/100-years-of-buggy-history-1980-1983/


Database update for website: We’re working on migrating our historical records to a SQL database for easier management and accessibility. If you’re interested in helping or requesting data, let us know!

Exhibition heats: On the topic of piquing your interest, we are looking for people (pusher) interested in Reunion Races to be scheduled during exhibition heats for Buggy100! Don’t miss your chance to participate on the course on the most epic Sweepstakes in history. Sign up here or by emailing us at admin@cmubuggy.org

If you’re interested in volunteering or just chatting, please feel free to email us or message on any of our social media platforms: Facebook/Twitter/Instagram or join us on our Discord chat server . We’ll be back with more news soon!

-Mike Darcy, BAA President

Membership Levels

In connection with Buggy100, we are offering special membership options for anyone who wants to support the centennial activities or the future of Sweepstakes.  We are also proud to announce the formation of a Buggy Endowed Fund! The BAA, University Advancement, the Office of Alumni Relations, and others have worked to set up an Endowed Fund specifically to support Sweepstakes in perpetuity, administered jointly by the BAA and CMU. Yields from the Endowed Fund will be awarded by a board of BAA officers, CMU staff, and current Sweepstakes officers each year to support the continued success and growth of Sweepstakes. We’ll dig into the details of how the funds will be distributed and managed in a future post for those interested.

Without further ado, our new membership offerings!

Limo (Bronze) Membership – $10+

This is the standard membership and is unchanged from the past – You’ll receive the Raceday Preview and other BAA publications, and have access to BAA-only events!

Quantum Leap (Silver) Membership – $100+

At this level, you’ll receive everything at the Limo level, PLUS you’ll receive a limited edition Buggy100 T-Shirt!

Golden Goose (Gold) Lifetime Membership – $1,000+

At this level, you’ll receive 2 copies of everything at the Quantum Leap level, PLUS you’ll receive LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP to the BAA (Note that donations at this level will contribute to the Buggy Endowed Fund).


Regardless of which Membership Level you donate at, if you donate AT LEAST $50, we will list you (or your designee) in a “Special Thanks” section of cmubuggy.org and in the Raceday Preview.


Below is a list of current members for Raceday 2020/2021/2022, as well as the associated levels:

Please let us know if you have any questions; we can be reached by email (admin@cmubuggy.org) as well as through Facebook/Twitter/Instagram or join us on our Discord chat server!

For gifts to either the Buggy Alumni Association account or the Buggy Endowed account in excess of $100, the donor will receive a commemorative Buggy 100 t-shirt.  The fair market value of this will be $15 and thus their legal gift credit is $15 less than their total gift amount.

For gifts to either the Buggy Alumni Association account or the Buggy Endowed account in excess of $1000, the donor will receive two commemorative Buggy 100 t-shirts.  The fair market value of this will be $30 and thus their legal gift credit is $30 less than their total gift amount.

Upcoming Events and New Initiatives #1

With the first couple weekends of rolls behind us, the 100th year of buggy has officially begun! I am proud to serve as the BAA President in this auspicious time, and am already in awe at the work put in by students, alumni and staff to make Buggy100 happen. We’ll be announcing new initiatives throughout the year, and already there are a couple to share

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