Jacksonville-area alumni host party, pep rally for Big Red

coach addresses alumni
Robert Barker/University Photography
Coach Steve Donahue with his son, Jack, addresses the crowd, with the team and pep band behind him.
alumni
Robert Barker/University Photography
Former Cornell basketball players Garry Munson '66, Justin Treadwell '94 and Jonathan Halpern '90, with his 11-year-old son, Griffin Halpern.
Hunter Rawlings with alumni
Robert Barker/University Photography
Hunter Rawlings speaks with Seth Payne '97, left, and Michael Huyghue '84, who hosted the reception for the basketball team.
Hunter Rawlings with Alex Tyler
Robert Barker/University Photography
Hunter Rawlings speaks with Alex Tyler '10 at a dinner hosted by Jacksonville-area alumni.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Big Red men's basketball team got a warm welcome in Jacksonville the night before their first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with Temple University.

Michael Huyghue '84 and Seth Payne '97 threw the team a party March 18 at the River City Brewing Co. in downtown Jacksonville to celebrate the team's visit to their city and to wish them luck in the tournament.

More than 100 alumni, friends and others gathered on the restaurant's deck overlooking the St. Johns River to pay tribute to the three-time Ivy League champions. The team was treated to a hearty meal -- complete with wait staff decked out in Cornell gear -- before entering the reception to raucous cheers and "Give My Regards to Davy" by the Big Red Pep Band.

"We couldn't have them come to Jacksonville and not do something," Huyghue said of hosting the event. "We wanted the experience to be good for them."

Payne, a former Jacksonville Jaguar, added, "It's not easy to go to [Cornell], much less play sports."

"We have a lot of respect for these kids and how well they've done," he said.

The evening featured brief remarks by coach Steve Donahue, music by the band and chants led by the cheerleading squad. The Big Red Bear bounced through the crowd, posing for pictures and dancing a jig.

Among those in attendance were alumni from basketball teams of years past, such as Garry Munson '66 of New York City. An active supporter of the team, Munson traveled to Jacksonville to cheer on the Big Red in their tournament bid.

"Basketball was a very, very influential thing in terms of my life," Munson said. "And as a result of that, I like to see these kids have the same positive experience."

Members of the Cornell Club of Greater Jacksonville also joined the celebration. Club President Gerry Grady '53 said there are about 50 active club members in the area, and among their regular activities is raising money for an undergraduate scholarship fund.