$1M Donation Launches 5-Year Endowment Drive for Men’s Ice Hockey

A $1 million donation to the University of Maine by alumnus Tom Savage and his wife, Sally, of Key Largo, Florida, will launch the Savage Challenge, a five-year endowment drive for the men’s ice hockey program.

The donation will be used to match up to $1 million in gifts from UMaine hockey alumni and former coaches to the endowment fund. The Savage Challenge is part of a larger fundraising effort to build a significant endowment for the University of Maine men’s ice hockey program. The endowment will provide direct operational support for the men’s ice hockey team, and the goal of the Savage Challenge is to motivate former Black Bear men’s ice hockey student-athletes and coaches to become directly involved with the program’s future.

“Like thousands of other Mainers, Maine hockey holds a special place in my heart,” says Tom Savage. “I will never forget how proud we were when we drove over the bridge in Kittery and saw the ‘1993 National Champions’ sign over 20 years ago, and I still get excited when Alfond Arena is shaking after a big Maine goal. For many of us, this program provides a great sense of pride, knowing that Maine can compete for championships on a national stage.

“When Sally and I discussed making this gift, we agreed it was a meaningful and worthy endeavor. Our goal is to help the University of Maine provide the best experience possible for the student-athletes, help our coaches put a product on the ice that Mainers can be proud of and put the Maine Black Bears in the best position possible to compete for championships. We are excited to play a role in ensuring that Maine hockey is financially strong for years to come, and hope others will join us in this effort,” says Tom Savage.

Men’s ice hockey is a signature athletic program for the University of Maine and the state, says UMaine President Susan Hunter, in announcing the $1 million gift at a media conference Oct. 14. The gift by Tom and Sally Savage will help ensure that the program will continue to be a national point of pride.

“(The) gift will serve to build a network of support for our men’s ice hockey program by strengthening the bond between our former student-athletes and our future,” Hunter says.

Tom Savage earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maine in 1968. The avid UMaine athletics fan is a retired attorney who practiced law in Bangor for more than 20 years. He is a member of Phi Gamma Delta and a former member of the University of Maine Foundation board of directors.

Sally Savage, who grew up in Belfast, is an artist and author. The couple are members of the University of Maine Stillwater Society and are the 2007 recipients of the Stillwater Presidential Award. The Savages live in Florida and maintain a summer home in Searsport.

“The generosity and vision of Tom and Sally Savage will have a permanent positive impact on the men’s ice hockey program at the University of Maine,” says UMaine Athletics Director Karlton Creech.

“Endowments are a powerful part of a sustainable Division I athletics model, and the Savage Challenge represents a tremendous leap forward in preserving the nationally competitive profile of our men’s ice hockey program. Tom and Sally are great friends of the university, and I am humbled by their generous gift that will be a difference maker for our student-athletes and coaches.”

The vision of Tom and Sally Savage to maintain the competitive excellence of Maine men’s ice hockey forever is both inspiring and transformational, says UMaine men’s ice hockey coach Dennis “Red” Gendron.

“Their generosity inspires all at Maine men’s ice hockey to do what is required of us to return this program to a position of national prominence, to do it consistently and to bring a national championship back to Maine,” he says.

“It is transformational because it represents a giant step forward to ensure the financial viability of Maine men’s ice hockey and Maine athletics into perpetuity. Because of Tom and Sally’s endowment gift and the countless other gifts that they will inspire from others, we will be able to recruit, outfit and support our team in a manner consistent with the best college hockey programs in the nation.”

Contact: Margaret Nagle, 207.581.3745