Georgia’s Capital and the Bulldogs’ Backyard
Right in the Bulldogs’ backyard and at the heart of the Peach State, the UGA Atlanta Alumni Chapter stands as the largest alumni chapter, representing nearly one-third of all UGA alumni.
“This chapter represents around 30% of all living UGA alumni, so our board has the opportunity to connect a huge Bulldog family and rally them to support both the university and our Atlanta community,” Will Ferrand (BBA ’15), the Atlanta chapter president said.
“Working for this UGA family is a big responsibility, but a massive privilege as well.”
With multiple game-watching parties across the city, the Atlanta game day experience is always a classic. The chapter’s most well-known watch party location is Monday Night Brewing, located in West Midtown; this year, they also incorporated Red Pepper Taqueria and the new greenspace in the city of Tucker, Georgia.
Members of the Tucker municipal government reached out to the university and the Atlanta chapter to inquire into being an official game-watching party venue in their newly created outdoor space. By working with the Mayor of Tucker and city council staff, they were able to create the first UGA Alumni chapter/local municipality partnership of its kind.
“We held three watch parties in Tucker this season, and each was a great success,” Ferrand said. “We’re excited to continue working with them and hope this kind of partnership can become a model for other chapters as well.”
The Atlanta Chapter hosts game-watching parties across the city.
Per game, there is an average of 75-100 people ready to cheer on the Dawgs and for the bigger matchups of the season, up to 200 fans will gather together. With UGA making post-season appearances the past few years, they have also seen huge crowds of over 300 people for events like the SEC Championship.
Aside from cheering on the Dawgs, this chapter loves to host events to support Atlanta sports teams, including the Hawks and the Braves. In previous years, they helped host the UGA Night at the Hawks and the UGA Day at the Braves events, where a portion of ticket proceeds supported the Atlanta Chapter Scholarship Fund.
This fund supports a student in the greater Atlanta area attending the University of Georgia.
Fun UGA merch that the UGA Atlanta Alumni Chapter has at their game-watching parties.
Alumni chapter leaders work with business leaders and large corporations from all over the metro Atlanta area to help connect the community back to UGA. From the Georgia Economic Outlook series hosted by the Terry College of Business each year at the Georgia Aquarium, to UGA Emeritus Board of Trustees events around the city, Atlanta is a home away from home for UGA outside of Athens.
“The partnership between Atlanta and Athens is such an important one for our state and our university, and our chapter is excited to be a part of it,” Ferrand said.
“The Atlanta Chapter is going to have more opportunities for alumni engagement. Since we Never Bark Alone, the chapter wants to be a conduit for our alumni to find the UGA causes they are most passionate about and help them contribute their time, talent, or treasure back to the university.”
Interested in connecting with alumni through your local chapter?
