Help Support Student Media's Coverage of March Madness
The Good Five Cent Cigar, the University of Rhode Island's student voice since 1971, has covered every women’s basketball game this season, including paying out of pocket to travel to Virginia for the team’s first-ever Atlantic 10 Tournament victory. WRIU, the school’s student-run radio station, has broadcast every women’s basketball home game this season.
As URI’s student newspaper and radio station, we are not set up to truly support short-notice travel like this without external assistance. Our organizations are both largely student-run and rely on the generosity of alumni, families, and friends to support our coverage and travel.
How Your Gift Helps
Support for the students is directed through RhodyNow: University Immediate Use. This fund is managed by The University of Rhode Island Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible. Contributions are used directly to meet the students' current needs.
Gifts to support student media help offset the cost of essential expenses such as travel, lodging, meals, and other incidentals.
Help Us Raise $5,000 to Cover March Madness
We are raising $5,000 to support travel to Louisville, Kentucky, for the first two rounds of the 2026 NCAA Tournament from March 20-23. To properly cover the tournament, we are hoping to send two students from WRIU to broadcast games and two students from The Cigar to provide written recaps and live updates.
After following the women’s basketball team for the entire season, this year’s tournament is important to provide our student media with the opportunity for on-site coverage. A gift of any size is greatly appreciated and is a major help to allow our organizations to cover this event.
As a token of our appreciation from The Cigar, all donors who contribute at least $50 will receive a special thanks in our print paper following the NCAA Tournament.
Your support ensures that our student-media members can cover March Madness and proudly represent URI’s student media during women’s basketball’s historic season.
Make An Immediate Impact
Your gift of any size makes a difference. Here are some examples:
- $25 helps cover incidentals
- $50 supports meals for students
- $100 offsets costs for ground transportation
- $250 helps cover lodging for one night for a student
- $500 supports airfare or major travel costs
- $1,000 sponsors a significant portion of travel or multi-day lodging
Every gift moves the students closer to the $5,000 goal and closer to covering March Madness.
Stay Connected
Follow Cigar Sports on Instagram at @_cigarsports and on X @_cigarsports to keep up with coverage of all URI athletics teams, including recaps, profiles and live game updates.
Follow WRIU on Instagram at @wriuradio and on X @WRIUSportsRadio to keep up with sports broadcasts all year long, and other events.
Also, follow The URI Foundation on all platforms at @alumniuri for updates on giving opportunities, stories of impact, and ways to support student-athletes.
Join the conversation, share your support, and help support student media!
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