It's that time of year Miner Fans! The Miner Athletic Club (MAC), the primary fund-raising arm of UTEP athletics, needs your help! We need you to catch "Orange Fever" and volunteer for the 2008 Team Fund Drive!

Support for UTEP Athletics has been growing exponentially over the last five years and volunteers have become an integral part of UTEP Athletics. Last year, the Team Fund Drive set an all-time record by raising more than $218,000 with the help of over 135 volunteers. There is still work to be done however, and we are asking for your assistance.

The Team Fund Drive will kick-off in April. Volunteers will be organized and operate on a team concept with 5 to 10 members on each team. Periodic reporting sessions are held during the 5-week drive and all volunteers are invited to celebrate their efforts at the Super Bowl Bash, tentatively scheduled for June in the Larry K. Durham Sports Center.

As ambassadors for the Athletic Department, members of the Team Fund Drive are encouraged to sell season tickets as well as encourage membership to the Miner Athletic Club. Through an established point system, volunteers are rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the UTEP Athletics Department with numerous prizes including UTEP apparel and memorabilia, parking passes and trips to away games. This grassroots effort ensures that there are countless volunteers aiding our efforts to support UTEP student-athletes. Being a member also gives you behind the scenes access and up-to-date information on UTEP Athletics as well as visiting with UTEP coaches over the course of your involvement.

The Miner Athletic Club needs your help to broaden its base of volunteers and Miner Athletic Club members to succeed in reaching the goals we have set. Our goals for this year's Team Fund Drive are to accumulate a combined $300,000 in new season ticket sales and donations to the Miner Athletic Club as well as increase the Miner Athletic Club membership to over 3,000 members.

At this time, we are looking for dedicated Miner Fans to volunteers for this year's Team Fund Drive. You are also invited to pledge your support and become a Team Captain for this year's Team Fund Drive. As a team Captain, you are encouraged to recruit 5 to 10 volunteers to be on your team.

If you are interested in learning more about the Team Fund Drive please contact the Miner Athletic Club office at (915) 747-8759 or email: mac@utep.edu.