On the court, the Golden Grizzlies and Detroit Mercy Titans went after each other with everything they had on Friday Feb. 9, and the Black and Gold came out victorious. Off the court, there was nothing but kindness being spread by Oakland and Detroit Mercy fans alike. The third annual Giving Challenge was a huge success and both universities couldn’t be happier.

It has become an object of school pride to win the Giving Challenge for both sides, but the main focus has always been to raise money for certain things on campus. As much as these two teams do not like each other, it is always a good thing to see two schools come together to benefit one another. Oakland University’s Athletics page explained it like this:

“Alumni and fans have the power to help Oakland win,” it reads. “The challenge is all about the number of donors, not dollars. Your support will impact our current and future students at Oakland University, while directly benefiting the area you’re most passionate about – academics, programs or campus needs.”

The event ran from Feb. 5-9 and every donor counted as one point. It was an extremely close battle, but Detroit Mercy just edged out Oakland with a score of 697-683. This win by the Titans broke the 1-1 tie in the series and gives Detroit Mercy bragging rights for at least the next year.

The Giving Challenge blew up this year and was all over social media. Oakland alumnus Anthony Gallina has had a huge part in starting this fundraiser and he has been very active on social media, trying to get more people to donate. Gallina did everything from wearing a Grizz mask at work to waving the Oakland flag at Elliot tower in the bitter cold.

“The Giving Challenge is a great way for both schools to show their school spirit, while raising funds for their respective universities,” Gallina said.

Some of the areas that university community members could have donated to this year at Oakland were for need and merit based scholarships, greatest area of need determined by the university or a location of your own choosing.

“The funds raised often spread across campus from scholarships for students, to programs and other great funds,” Gallina said. “The competition has grown each year.”

Win or lose, for Golden Grizzly fans and Titans fans, it is a great tradition that will continue for many years to come.