FORT MYERS, Fla. – A limited number of seats are left for the 9th Annual Night at the Nest gala at Alico Arena on Friday, Nov. 30.

Designed to show both appreciation to the Eagles' donors, as well as raise external resources for the athletic department, this year's event – brought to you by presenting sponsors Big Cypress and Brighton Reservation Seminole Tribe – has sold out the past three years. Last year's event brought in $577,000 and the goal is $600,000 in 2018.
 
The business-casual event features a cocktail reception and dinner along with live and silent auction items, with doors opening at 6 p.m. FGCU coaches and staff will be in attendance, and student-athletes will be the servers for the dinner. One-hundred percent of the net revenue goes to augment and establish scholarships for current and future FGCU student-athletes.

"This enjoyable evening certainly is one of the premier annual highlights for FGCU Athletics," FGCU director of athletics Ken Kavanagh said. "From both friend-raising and fundraising standpoints, Night at the Nest has become a tremendous platform to both generate much needed external resources, as well as to develop and enhance valuable relationships with newcomers and long-time supporters alike."

Reservations are currently being accepted for individual seats at $200 per person or $2,000 for a table of 10. To make a reservation and payment online, click here.
 
For the fourth-straight year, those not in attendance will have the opportunity to bid on auction items remotely. For additional information on taking advantage of this easy bidding service, please contact Assistant Director of Development/Eagles Club Coordinator Matt Ring by phone at 239-590-7107 or via email at mring@fgcu.edu.
 
There will be live and silent auction items to be released in the coming weeks and can be bid on remotely. The silent auction items will go live via mobile bidding on Friday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. For those unfamiliar with how the event is run, click here for a recap from last year's gala.
 
Night at the Nest has grown each year from 300 attendees in its inaugural 2010 showing to 680 in 2013 and has been at its 800-person capacity each of the past three years. Due primarily to the generosity of companies and individuals from Southwest Florida, a record $577,000 was raised for FGCU Athletics at last December's event.
 
Additionally, Lois Thome – a 25-year veteran as the co-anchor of WINK News' 5, 6 and 7 p.m. broadcasts – will serve as the emcee, with Jay Severson being the auctioneer.
 
For additional information about Night at the Nest, log on to FGCUAthletics.com/NAN.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 70 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 33 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a 3.27 GPA in the classroom and served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runner-ups for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.

FOLLOW ALONG
Ticket information for upcoming events is available by logging on to FGCUTickets.com or by calling 239-590-7145. Additional news and schedule information is available at FGCUAthletics.com. Follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEagles), Facebook (/FGCUAthletics), Instagram (@FGCUAthletics) and YouTube (/FGCUAthletics). 

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.