The Duke Club, in collaboration with the Washington Nationals, hosted JMU Day at Nationals Park on Sunday, July 23 as the Washington Nationals faced off against the San Francisco Giants. 

Over 1,100 JMU fans were in attendance to show their Dukes pride as Duke Club donors and JMU students and staff were recognized and actively participated in game day promotions throughout the game. The festivities kicked off with a phenomenal performance of the National Anthem by Lala Badaoui, a JMU senior and Public Relations major from Gainesville, Virginia. The standout performance was followed by the stellar "play ball" announcement delivered by Bill Bays, a 1987 alumnus of JMU and a 25-year supporter of the JMU Duke Club. Bill and his wife Cynthia, also a 1987 JMU graduate, have made a significant impact on the JMU student-athlete experience with their support of the Student-Athlete Leadership Endowment. Heading into the fourth inning, the President's Race, a Nationals game day tradition, took to the field with the Huang family judging the race at the finish line. Amanda and Wei, both members of the JMU Class of 2005, have been making their impact on the JMU student-athlete experience as Duke Club members and donors for the past 10 years. 

Follow all the action from the exciting JMU Day at the Nationals by viewing the event photo gallery at JMUDukeClub.com/NatsDayPhotos. A special thank you to the JMU fans in attendance and our JMU students, staff, and donors who helped make the special day possible including Scooter Renkin, Associate Athletic Director for Development; Ashley Doyle, Duke Club Director of Events and Stewardship; Kate Burke, Duke Club Director of Internal Development; Jared Lowry and Dillon Thomas, Duke Club Development Officers; Cassidy Clements, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Leadership Development; and the JMU Cheerleading Team.

In addition to serving as a day of fan fun, the event also raised over $5,000 in support of the JMU Proud & True Fund, the JMU Athletics annual fund that benefits all 18 varsity sport programs, Cheerleading, and the JMU Athletics general operating budget. For questions about the Duke Club or to learn more about membership opportunities and how you can make your impact, contact the Duke Club at DukeClub@jmu.edu or visit JMUDukeClub.com/join. 

The Duke Club has a number of exciting events slated for fall 2023. View the full lineup at JMUDukeClub.com/events and start making your plans today to join in on the fun.