RAISE Inspiration Challenge - Honoring Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic
As Masters Sports Director and Masters Swimming Head Coach, Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic has built a program that has excelled and sustained for 40 years, bringing the campus and San Diego community together.
Recognizing the outstanding contributions of Sickie, an anonymous donor has committed $1 million as a challenge to the community, aiming to inspire support of an additional $1 million to name the east pool at Canyonview Aquatic Center after Sickie.
The donation and inspiration challenge will increase access and reduce financial barriers to Recreation opportunities for all Tritons through the Recreation, Access, Inclusion, Swim Education (RAISE) Fund.
We invite you to join us in our efforts to honor Sickie and his 40 years of dedication. Your gift to the RAISE fund will:
- Be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million by the anonymous donor
- Bring us one kick closer to reaching our goal of raising an additional $1M to name the pool after Sickie*
- Support aquatics-related facility renovations and equipment upgrades that will provide vital operational enhancements in support of the respective programs and initiatives focused on wellness, equity, diversity and inclusion.
“If you ask why Coach Sickie should be honored, I have to say it is because of the community he has built. We are an ever-growing family who all share a passion for the sport of swimming – and it doesn’t matter whether you swim in one of the faster lanes or the ‘not faster lanes,’ Sickie brought us together and keeps us together. He is always there. Always happy. Never late.” -- Dennis Roth, Masters Swimming participant
For questions, additional information, or other ways to give, please contact Tiffany Ayres at tayres@ucsd.edu or (858) 287-0966.
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Special Thanks to our Donors!
Alana Barbieri
Alexia Cervantes
Amy Weinheimer
Christopher Dambrosia
David Shapiro
Debra Eckmann
Jeffrey Haydu
Jerald Rice
Jill Ostland
Macey Rafter
Marc Beasley
Marco Marienberg
Maroula Bratakos
Martin Gaspare
Nadine Padilla
Sam and Pam Knight
Sanghee Yoo
Wally Nidzieko
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Important Information and Disclosures
Recreation, Access, Inclusion, Swim Education (R.A.I.S.E.) Fundraising Initiative Honoring Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic
As an inspiration challenge in honor and recognition of the outstanding contributions of Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic, an anonymous donor has indicated their intention to provide $1,000,000 to the UC San Diego Foundation in support of the fully expendable fund entitled Recreation, Access, Inclusion, Swim Education (R.A.I.S.E.) (E7530) (“Fund”). As Masters Sports Director and Masters Swimming Head Coach, Sickie has built a program that has excelled and sustained for 40 years, bringing the campus and San Diego community together at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
In correlation with this inspiration challenge, the Recreation department at UC San Diego is undertaking a charitable fundraising effort to raise a combination of outright gifts and pledges totaling an additional $1 million (“Inspiration Challenge Funds”) to the UC San Diego Foundation in support of the Fund by no later than January 31, 2026.
If this goal is met by the goal date, UC San Diego will name the eastern pool at the Canyonview Aquatic Center as the Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic Pool.
If this goal is not met by the goal date, UC San Diego will name the lobby at the Canyonview Aquatic Center as the Ronald “Sickie” Marcikic Lobby.
Please note that the following terms will apply to the designated naming recognition:
- The naming will be in effect for the useful life of the space, subject to all applicable University of California and UC San Diego policies and procedures.
- Final signage for the naming will be developed as part of the overall naming recognition standards for the Canyonview Aquatic Center.
- For wayfinding purposes, the naming may be shortened or omitted on directional signage to best provide information to emergency responders, campus members (e.g., faculty, staff, students), and visitors.
- In the event that Canyonview Aquatic Center is substantially renovated in the future such that the designated named space no longer exists or has been re-designated, UC San Diego (with consultation from the director of Recreation) will identify and seek approval to name a similar space at Canyonview Aquatic Center that is designated for or directly associated with the UC San Diego Masters Swimming Program (or similar future program in the Recreation department) that is commensurate with the total fundraising for the Initiative (including the inspiration challenge gift).
Please note that the following terms will apply to the Inspiration Challenge Funds:
- UC San Diego and/or the UC San Diego Foundation may share the accounting and financial records related to the operations, programs, and activities supported by the Fund, including this gift and/or pledge, to the anonymous donor noted above for stewardship purposes, per all applicable University of California and UC San Diego policies and procedures.
- The Recreation department at UC San Diego intends to use the Inspiration Challenge Funds to support aquatics-related facility renovations and equipment upgrades that will provide vital operational enhancements in support of the respective programs and initiatives focused on wellness, equity, diversity, and inclusion.