‘Mr. Hamilton’ Ron Foxcroft leading Athletics campaign
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Ron Foxcroft knows a winner when he sees one.
That’s why he agreed to not only be among the first to contribute to an inaugural Athletics fundraising effort through the Mohawk College Foundation, but also to be chair of the campaign itself.
The campaign is built around the theme “Growing through GRIT (grit, resilience, initiative, and tenacity.)” Mohawk College is striving to set the gold standard for athletic excellence, by focusing not only on varsity performance, but on academics, mental health, leadership development, and community engagement.
“I think the campaign and Ron's support have really morphed our approach into something that is special and unique, and will be a differentiator in terms of what helped us climb to the top and stay at the top,” says Matt Ferreira, Director of Athletics and Recreation, who was hired in 2019 with a mandate to renew and reinvigorate varsity and recreational sports programming.
The campaign has launched in the midst of a strong year for Mountaineer varsity teams on and off the courts and fields, and growing community, provincial and national awareness of Athletics at Mohawk College.
“Foxcroft is a name that is synonymous with Hamilton. He's beloved in this city. He's got great relationships with our two basketball head coaches, Mihai Raducanu and Jamie Girolametto, so we’re so grateful for his presence. We're grateful for his brain, his strategy, and just his ability to come on board with us and help us push the envelope and get the attention of people.”
One of Ferreira’s key goals as he rebuilt the vision for Athletics was to see the College’s varsity teams become Hamilton’s teams. That is being realized in the support shown to Mohawk College’s basketball squads that often play to packed gyms in a city known as a provincial and national hub of basketball.
“We want the barber shops and coffee shops in the city streaming our games. We want there to be chatter on game day. We want there to be a buzz, not just about basketball, but about volleyball, curling, cross country, and lacrosse.”
‘Legendary status’
Foxcroft is an enthusiastic backer of Mohawk College and is a champion himself on many levels.
He’s a veteran and decorated basketball referee in both the NCAA and the NBA, a highly respected community leader in Hamilton, and the founder of the Fox 40 International whistle empire.
“Ron Foxcroft has surpassed legendary status in my books,” says Lorna Somers, Vice President, Advancement & Alumni Engagement, who worked with him on fundraising efforts for many years in many different roles.
“Knowing and working with him for more than 25 years makes me a bit of an authority. I can say, with confidence, he has had a remarkable impact on so many people and organizations in our community and Mohawk College is at the top of that long list as a beneficiary of his wisdom, mentorship, philanthropy and most recently, through his commitment as our Athletics Campaign Chair. How Ron is able to do so much for so many is a marvel and I know every one of us at Mohawk College is immensely grateful.”
“I have been a big fan of Mohawk College for a very long time. We have many Mohawk College grads in our companies. They are smart, well-educated, work hard and ready to contribute right away.” Says Foxcroft, who is focused on cultivating relationships with major donors and industry partners on behalf of Mohawk College Athletics.
Successes piling up
The successes are piling up. The College is already a powerhouse in cross-country and curling and has also built an intermural program in cricket that is expected to grow. Varsity teams are regularly cracking national rankings and Mohawk College had the second-highest number of academic all-Canadians in the country last year.
“It was the third year in a row we were in the top three in the country,” says Ferreira. “So we were No. 3 out of roughly 100 and generally, the two schools that have been ahead of us have a much larger varsity program than we do.”
This year, two student athletes were drafted into professional leagues: Jerry Jr. Mercury, who became the first Canadian college athlete drafted into the Canadian Elite Basketball League when he was selected by the Niagara River Lions in April; and Hamilton born and raised Dawson Brown, who was signed to a one-year contract by the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League in October.
I have been a big fan of Mohawk College for a very long time. We have many Mohawk College grads in our companies. They are smart, well-educated, work hard and ready to contribute right away.
Investing in excellence
This campaign is intended to support the student athlete experience at Mohawk College, the creation of Mountaineer scholarships, and enhancement of the game day experience for fans. Mohawk Foundation recognized the importance of resources for student athletes, including mental health, academic and career supports, personal development workshops, and nutrition education.
“It goes without saying that people gravitate to a winner. And I think we have a winning product here. So I feel as long as we keep up that end of the bargain, people will want to help and contribute.”
‘Great champion’
Foxcroft has been a mentor to women’s basketball coach Mihai Raducanu since he was a teenager playing for Hamilton’s Cathedral high school 30 years ago.
“I mean, he's a picture-perfect community man that's respected, and we are community school at the end of the day. He's a great connector. He's a great champion.”
Since July, Raducanu has combined his on-court role with a Senior Development Specialist position in the Foundation. It’s the first time the College has had a such a role dedicated to Athletics.
“Foxcroft helps to open doors with people who may not have deep connections to Mohawk College or who may not think about the College in terms of its Athletics or contributions to sports in the community,” says Raducanu.
He took over as the coach for women’s basketball in 2022. The team went 5-16 that year and didn’t win a game until December. But he built a program and a team that totally turned things around, going 16-5 and ranking as high as 10th in country last year.
The goal this season is an OCAA championship.
Raducanu says the GRIT campaign will allow Mohawk College to accelerate and expand its high-performance mindset with coaches dedicated to academics, mental health and leadership.
He's a picture-perfect community man that's respected, and we are community school at the end of the day. He's a great connector. He's a great champion.
A long history
Foxcroft and Mohawk College have a long history.
He started refereeing at the college in the late 1960s, and his son Steve, now vice president of the Foxcroft-owned Fluke Transportation, graduated with a diploma in Journalism in the 1980s. Foxcroft also chaired the college’s entrepreneurial studies committee between 1990 and 2005.
In 2015, the College bestowed an honorary Ontario College Advanced Diploma in Business Administration on Foxcroft and made him a Distinguished Fellow.
Often called “Mr. Hamilton,” Foxcroft’s list of community roles is long and varied, from chairing the board of Hamilton International Airport to his longtime role with the Argylls. He has chaired capital campaigns for McMaster University, St Joseph’s Hospital, and Hillfield Strathallan College. He has been named Hamilton Citizen of the Year, sits in the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction and the Burlington Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and was named to the Order of Canada in 2019.
Born of Foxcroft’s frustration with existing whistles, the Fox 40 whistle he invented is now the standard for officials in the NHL, NFL, CFL, NBA, NCAA and FIFA, as well as coaches, animal trainers, law enforcement and search and rescue.
He even had an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, who used a Fox 40 whistles to scare Canadian geese from her lawn.
Foxcroft refereed for 25 years in the NCAA. After retiring from the court in 2000, he served as a referee evaluator for NBA and now works as replay coordinator at Raptors home games.
His wisdom in life and business has been immortalized in The 40 Ways of the Fox, written in collaboration with Dundas author Mike Ulmer.
Foxcroft has a ton of respect for the early leaders in Mohawk College’s sports programs, including Wes Hicks, Earl Begg, Ray Jones and Laurie Cahill.
“You know, the college had a great culture. They had a winning culture, a championship culture. And great people.”
Foxcroft says he sees that legacy reflected in today’s administrators and coaches in varsity athletics, and the team at the Mohawk College Foundation.
The last thing he needs is a job, says Foxcroft, who still works 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week.
“But I've received more than I've given on this campaign, and I've met so many of the students that are winners, leaders and champions. They have that love for their school and love for the community.”
This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.