Every team needs a great rival, and for 133 years, the Amherst and Williams football teams have met for “the biggest little game in America.” For the past five years, the contest has expanded beyond the playing field, as the 15 most recently graduated classes from Amherst and Williams have competed head-to-head to see which school can secure the most donors.

Amherst’s young alums have reason to be proud: for the second year in a row, they’ve bested Williams in the giving challenge. Final score was 1,638 gifts (Amherst) to 1,411 gifts (Williams).

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Biggest Little Challenge

Gifts had to be made in a three-week period that started just before Amherst’s Homecoming weekend and ended after Williams’ Homecoming and the Amherst-Williams football game. Only one gift per alum was counted toward the challenge totals.

For volunteers and young alumni, it was an exciting three weeks that ended in a well-earned victory.

“The friendly rivalry with Williams was fun as a student, and I don’t see why it should stop after graduation, especially when there’s a good cause behind it,” said Cristian Navarro ’16, a class agent. “Leveraging the rivalry to motivate classmates to join the College’s long-standing legacy of alumni generosity is what makes the challenge not only fun to volunteer for, but also meaningful.”

The increase in gifts follows a trend of young alumni giving over the past several years. Annual Fund participation by all 15 youngest classes has steadily risen, and last year, 46.5 percent of young alumni made a gift to Amherst—a participation rate well above the national average. All gifts to the Annual Fund have an immediate impact, providing critical, current-use budget support, and when alumni give back, they make a clear statement about the value they place on their education and their confidence in the mission of the College. 

Match of the Mascots!

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Amherst's mascot beats Williams' mascot in funny gifs

The gifs above were shared with Amherst alumni during the match. We look forward to Williams' response next year. Go Mammoths!