Paydirt’s Rally set for Aug. 12 on KVIA ABC-7

EL PASO, Texas - Fans will have the opportunity to support UTEP student-athletes on Friday, Aug. 12 when Paydirt’s Rally returns for another year.

UTEP student-athletes from a variety of sports will participate in activities and earn points based on their performance.

Donors can pledge a monetary amount for each point earned by a student-athlete during an activity.

“We initially thought of the idea of a skills-challenge fundraiser like Paydirt’s Rally to display some of the extremely talented student-athletes at UTEP to the community,” Assistant Athletic Director Sarah Tuohy said. “All of the funds raised through Paydirt’s Rally go to the Miner Athletic Club Scholarship Fund which directly supports our 325 student-athletes.”

Sponsored by KVIA ABC-7, the Zelenak Family and El Paso Electric, Paydirt’s Rally is comprised of student-athlete skills challenges throughout the day on KVIA.

After featuring an hour-long show in the past, the events will now be broken down throughout the day on KVIA starting with the 6 a.m. newscast and continuing all the way until the 10 p.m. news later that night.

“This year we wanted to extend the reach of Paydirt’s Rally by showcasing our student-athletes on KVIA during their local news broadcasts,” Tuohy said. “To participate, all you have to do is visit our website, pledge a gift based on how many reps/shots/passes you think the student-athletes can get, and tune in on August 12th throughout all six KVIA broadcasts to watch the results.”

The funds raised through Paydirt’s Rally will directly benefit Miner student-athletes by providing scholarship support.

Below is a schedule of events for Aug. 12 that will be broadcast on KVIA ABC-7 featuring UTEP student-athletes and coaches.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING/WEIGHT ROOM

Friday, Aug. 12 at 6 a.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Challenge Participants: Ashlynn Allen (Softball), Tessa Carlin (Soccer)

Event Description: Both student-athletes will have a set weight to bench press, and the winner will be based on how many total reps they can achieve.

3-POINT CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY THE ZELENAK FAMILY

Friday, Aug. 12 at 12 p.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Coaches Interviews: Kevin Baker (Women’s Basketball), Joe Golding (Men’s Basketball)

Challenge Participants: Shamar Givance (Men’s Basketball), Avery Crouse (Women’s Basketball)

Event Description: Each student-athlete will have 60 seconds to shoot racks of five balls from five different spots beyond the 3-point line to see who can accumulate the most. 

SOCCER CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY EL PASO ELECTRIC

Friday, Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Coach Interview: Kathryn Balogun (Soccer)

Challenge Participants: Mina Rodriguez (Soccer), Elena Reyna (Soccer)

Event Description: Two student-athletes will have 60 seconds to see how many of their shots hit the crossbar to display accuracy. 

VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE

Friday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Coach Interview: Ben Wallis (Volleyball)

Challenge Participants: UTEP Volleyball Team

Event Description: In 60 seconds we will see how many kills or serves the UTEP volleyball team can get in bounds.

FOOTBALL CHALLENGE

Friday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Coach Interview: Dana Dimel (Football)

Challenge Participants: Gavin Hardison (Football), Calvin Brownholtz (Football), Rey Flores (Football)

Event Description: Each player will have 30 seconds to throw as many balls as possible into a net that is 30-yards away. Once those 30 seconds are up, they will get three chances to throw the ‘money ball’ worth double the points into a trash can that is 50-yards away.

CHIN-UP CHALLENGE

Friday, Aug. 12 at 10 p.m. on KVIA ABC-7

Challenge Participants: Serena Patterson (Volleyball), Torrance Lovesee (Volleyball)

Event Description: Volleyball student-athletes will show us their strength by trying to outdo the other in a chin-up contest. Whoever can complete the most reps will win.

Additionally, Miner fans and supporters will also be able to simply make philanthropic, tax-deductible donations in support of the Miner Athletic Club Scholarship Fund throughout the day.

Scholarships for UTEP student-athletes remain the largest annual expense incurred by the athletic department.

Each year, the UTEP athletic department spends over $7 million to provide educational opportunities and assistance for approximately 325 student-athletes. Fans can support today by making a philanthropic gift in support of UTEP student-athletes.

For questions or more information please visit minerathleticclub.com/paydirtsrally, call (915) 747-8759 or email at MAC@utep.edu.