Bright green T-shirts could be spotted in a sea of orange during Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Louisville.

The shirts helped mark Say Yes to Education’s second consecutive Say Yes in the Dome Day. Say Yes used the day to raise awareness and thank corporate sponsors.

Say Yes, an organization dedicated to increasing high school and college graduation rates in urban cities and providing college tuition for Syracuse’s urban youth, recently received $845,000 in donations that was later matched by SRC Inc.

Most of the money will go toward a scholarship worth $610,000 for students interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering or math degrees, said Lisa Moore, director of development for Syracuse Say Yes.

‘Some of the most successful companies in this city are focused on technology, and we want to encourage students to pursue this field. We would love to home grow students to go to college here and then work in the community and stay here,’ Moore said.

While most scholarships funded by Say Yes are not for a specific academic pursuit, this newest scholarship is geared specifically toward science and technology. Moore said this is because of the multitude of science and technology industries in Syracuse.

The donations totaled $845,000 and came from a variety of corporations. Lockheed Martin Corp. contributed $250,000, Anaren Inc. gave $50,000 and an anonymous donor gave $160,000, Moore said.

The remaining donation was made of $150,000 from O’Brien and Gere for community organizations and $100,000 from M&T Bank for the general scholarship fund. Other corporations and individuals added another $135,000.

The total donation amount has been matched by SRC, Moore said.

SRC, a nationally recognized research and development company, announced it would match the money Say Yes raised for scholarship and endowment during last year’s Say Yes in the Dome Day, up to $5 million, Moore said. This past year, Say Yes has been continually raising money to meet that challenge.

She said the promise from SRC is what has helped Say Yes get to where it is now.

Though the organization was focused on raising awareness, this year’s Say Yes in the Dome Day differed from last year’s because the organization’s main goal this year was to thank Say Yes’ corporate sponsors, said Pat Driscoll, director of operation for Syracuse Say Yes.

At the game, Dome staff and cheerleaders wore green Say Yes to Education shirts. On the back was the quote: ‘Because every kid deserves to watch the game from the student section.’

During timeouts and commercial breaks, the jumbo screen played a video featuring testimonies from Say Yes scholars. SU’s cheerleading squad led a Say Yes cheer shouting, ‘Syracuse! Say Yes! Syracuse! Say Yes!’

Corporate representatives also stood on the court, including Jim Fox, CEO of O’Brien and Gere; Greg Larioni, vice president and Syracuse site general manager of Lockheed Martin; and Drew James, president of SRCTec.

SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor welcomed and thanked the donors. She said it was their contributions that made Say Yes possible.

Moore said she thought the event was successful.

‘What Say Yes Day in the Dome did was really show how broadly Say Yes is reaching out to the community,’ Moore said. ‘A lot of our corporations were able to meet the students they were helping, and that’s where the power is.’

Mike Velasco, a freshman sport management major who attended the game, said he believes Say Yes is a program that helps improve students’ futures.

Said Velasco: ‘It’s an awesome way to spread the word. You can do other kinds of advertising, but there are over 30,000 people here.’

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Published on March 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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