Crazed NCAA fans bombard Las Vegas every spring for March Madness. Inspired by the energy of this city during this time and his desire to bring Hoyas together, Vegas entertainer and president of the Georgetown University Alumni Club of Las Vegas Jeff Civillico (COL ’05) created an ingenious alumni event. Hoya Madness is a national viewing party for alumni who are neither on campus nor attending the games. Connecting with Hoyas and watching the NCAA tournament is always a great experience, but combining these two things and adding a trip to Las Vegas? Come on — what gets better than that?
The first weekend of the tournament, March 21 through 24, marks the third annual Hoya Madness. However, you don’t have to be an avid basketball fan to enjoy the weekend. Civillico and the Club of Las Vegas have planned an event that doesn’t relate to the sport every night.
The few days are a time for Hoyas to explore Vegas together. The schedule of the games is not announced until a few days before the weekend starts, so event updates will be provided as the weeks go on, and they will get the party weekend started. Participants will have access to bar specials, like free appetizers or 2-for-1 margaritas, the opportunities to tour Vegas in a 40-person limo bus and to see a show on the Vegas strip. There will be game watch parties, which will be either “kegs and eggs” or a night at a bar, catering to the schedule of games. This year, participants will receive a room deal code for The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on the strip. The game watch location is South Point, which is a local scene just away from the buzz on the strip. South Point has a strong history with Georgetown: The owner’s son used to play on the basketball team and the general manager is a Hoya.
The big event of the weekend is the formal University Reception on Saturday night with a guest speaker. In its inaugural year, theology associate professor Otto Hentz came out to support the event as the guest speaker and last year, College Dean Chester Gillis was the guest speaker. Keep your ears open for the announcement of this year’s guest speaker.
Attendance has been going up each year, confirming that this event is one that will be around for years to come. So if you’re not old enough to enjoy the benefits of Vegas yet (you must be 21 years old to participate), start saving your change from your daily coffee and attend next year. Buy your flight and stay tuned for the developing plan of events by logging onto www.hoyamadness.com and signing up for the newsletter.
“Take a leap of faith! Trust us. It will be a good time!” – Jeff Civillico (COL ’05)
