FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 5th Annual Night at the Nest gala at Alico Arena will take place on Friday, Dec. 5. The sold-out event is designed to both show appreciation to the Eagles' donors, as well as raise external resources for the FGCU Athletics Department. This year's event, presented in part by the Ariel Capital Advisors and the Seminole Tribe of Big Cypress, reached a capacity of 700 reserved spots in October.
 
The semi-formal features a cocktail reception, dinner and live and silent auction items, with doors opening at 6 p.m. FGCU coaches will be in attendance, and Eagle student-athletes will be the servers for the function. NBC2 news anchor Kellie Burns will serve as the emcee for a second-consecutive year.
 
A plethora of terrific live and silent auction items can be viewed at the top this release. For those unable to attend the gala but wish to bid on items, proxy bids are being accepted by contacting Allison Bass, Eagles Club & Special Events Coordinator, via email at abass@fgcu.edu or by phone 239-590-7107.
 
Three-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale – the 2010 National Collegiate Player of the Year for FGCU – will once again be in attendance at the event, giving attendees a chance to interact with one of the best pitchers in the sport. A southpaw with the Chicago White Sox, Sale – who earned the win for the American League in the 2013 All-Star Game – has finished 6th, 5th and 3rd, respectively, in the Cy Young voting the last three years. Sale – who went 12-4 in 2014 – finished the season with the third-best ERA in the majors (2.17), just 0.3 behind AL leader Felix Hernandez (2.14).

In addition to Sale, former New York Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson, 2014 AL Champion Kansas City Royals pitcher Casey Coleman and Dunk City Sweet 16 member and Fort Myers product Eddie Murray are all scheduled to be in attendance Friday.

Night at the Nest has grown each year from 300 attendees in its inaugural 2010 showing to 680 last year. Due primarily to the generosity of companies and individuals from Southwest Florida, a record $295,000 was raised for FGCU Athletics at last December's event.
 
All proceeds from the gala go directly to support the Green & Blue's scholarship needs and operating budgets. Dr. Robert Ryan, Jr. of Bonita Bay is serving as the Event Chairman and Auction Coordinator. The Board of Advisors for the Eagles Club, the official booster club organization of FGCU Athletics, in addition to FGCU administrators, sport programs, coaches and student-athletes all play an integral role in organizing and promoting the fundraiser.
 
While there will not be a keynote speaker this year, the honor has previously been held by several influential individuals who are highly visible in the national athletics community. Former US Ryder Cup Captain golfer Paul Azinger, Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer and Sale have each filled this role in previous years. 
 
Night at the Nest is a celebration of all the accomplishments of FGCU Athletics' student-athletes and coaches. FGCU has won a combined 40 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 7+ Division-I seasons as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference and Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. Furthermore, in only 3+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has sent 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament, while men's golf, swimming and diving and men's tennis have had an individual participate in their respective NCAA Championship, bringing the total NCAA appearances for FGCU to 16 in the past three years.
 
For additional information about Night at the Nest, including photos, video and auction items from last year's event, log on to FGCUAthletics.com/NAN.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.