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cavalier sports OCTOBER 2017 7 M embers of the Virginia Athletics Foun- dation are givers, and giving back is something that Todd Hitt has known since he was young. Growing up in a middle-class family in Arlington, Va., Hitt said it was the values he learned at a young age that have led to his success as a college athlete and in business. "I didn't have what I would call a privi- leged upbringing at all from a money per- spective, but very privileged from a mentor- ship perspective," Hitt said. "My grandfather provided a fantastic set of both life prin- ciples as well as business principles." Hitt helped to grow the business that his grandfather started in 1937 as a small construction company into a billion dollar corporation. A former All-American soccer standout for UVA legends Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley and Dave Sarachan, Hitt has been a generous contributor to the Virginia Athletics Founda- tion. His most recent commitment was $100,000 in support of the men's soccer program. VAF Associate Director Heather Troudt said, "Todd Hitt understands firsthand the value of a scholarship and the athletics experience at the University of Virginia." Today, Hitt is the chief executive officer of a global private equity and alternative as- set management firm Kiddar Capital, but there's much more to his life than boardrooms and business trips. Those early lessons from his grandfather of giving back and making the community better are essential to Hitt's passion for supporting organizations that are working to give young people greater opportunity. "It is important to me because I see kids daily who are good athletes and need to go on to the next level to get a good education," Hitt explained. "You want them to go to the best possible school. You want them to get a leg up. UVA does a fantastic job with that." Hitt has teamed up with former UVA All-ACC and current Washington Redskins offensive tackle Morgan Moses to assist the Morgan Moses Foundation in achiev- ing greater success in its Homework Help! program in partnership with the Redskins Charitable Foundation and The Princeton Review. The program provides free tutoring to qualified high school students. During an event at the Redskins training camp this summer, Hitt gave Morgan a chal- lenge match donation of $50,000, encouraging local leaders to help provide even greater opportunities to kids throughout Virginia. "I want to thank Todd for giving so many students an opportunity to get better and prepare for the next level through the Morgan Moses Foundation's Homework Help! program," Moses said. "We share not only our Wahoo bond but the dedication and spirit for giving back to our community." "I love supporting the VAF angle along with Morgan Moses and his goals of tutoring kids, students and particularly student-athletes to get to the next level so that they are pre- pared to go to the University of Virginia's," Hitt said. "I'm very proud of that connection. For me, it's success with integrity which is really what my life is about. That's what UVA's been able to achieve. They haven't done it by taking a bunch of shortcuts. I like that." In February, Hitt had the opportunity to return to Charlottesville to speak with the UVA men's soccer team. "Down in the locker room, I talked with them about the transition from athletics to business, noting that the very talents they use to be successful on the field can be used in business," Hitt said. "Where the traps are, where the open fairways are." "You get a good sense of the kind of player George [Gelnovatch] is bringing in, the way they mentor, and guide and tutor them," he added. "It's really tremendous amounts of success with integrity for student-athletes and I love that. I want to be connected to that and want to support it." — Greg Waters Hitt gave a challenge -match donation of $50,000 to the Morgan Moses Foundation this summer, presenting the check to his fellow UVA alum Moses at the Washington Redskins' training camp. PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE Todd Hitt WAHOO NATION Craig Littlepage has made a significant impact during his time at the University of Virginia. The athletics program is now recognized among the nation's elite. Our student- athletes are students first, and their success in the classroom is reflective of their strong commitment to academics. The athletics department also operates with integrity and an unwavering desire to follow the rules. "These values are created and are part of the fabric of the athletics department thanks to strong leader- ship. I would like to thank Craig and his family for their dedication to the University and our community, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role." — University of Virginia president Teresa Sullivan on Littlepage's retirement as UVA's athletics direc- tor, which he announced Sept. 5 after 16 years in the position that included 13 NCAA championships and 76 ACC titles, the latter marking the most in the league since 2002; Littlepage will remain in his position until a successor is named and then move into a role in the University President's Office quotable PHOTO COURTESY UVA