GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., June 15, 2021 — Empower Retirement and Boston College Athletics are announcing that Empower will serve as the title sponsor of the 2021 “Red Bandanna Game” on Nov. 5 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.  

The Red Bandanna Game is an annual football tradition at Boston College which this year will see the Eagles take on the Hokies of Virginia Tech in a meeting of Atlantic Coast Conference teams. The game is expected to be nationally televised on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Boston College's Red Bandanna Game honors Welles Crowther, a former BC lacrosse player, who lost his life in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, after rescuing as many as 18 people. This year’s game takes on special significance as the nation marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

“The heroism Welles Crowther displayed is legendary and has found its rightful place along with so many others who sacrificed themselves that day in Manhattan, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” said Empower Retirement President and CEO Edmund F. Murphy III. “It’s a great honor for Empower to provide support to Boston College for recognizing and highlighting Welles’ life and legacy.”

“The Red Bandanna game is an impactful reminder of the heroism displayed by Welles Crowther. On this 20th anniversary, we are grateful that Empower Retirement will be partnering with us as we continue the annual tradition that honors Welles and his selfless acts on September 11,” said JM Caparro, Senior Associate Athletic Director.

Crowther’s heroism is marked by a red bandanna he was known for carrying with him through his life. He worked as a trader for a firm located in the World Trade Center but had also been a volunteer firefighter. Following the collapse of the towers several people who escaped told the story of being led to safety by a masked man wearing a red bandanna over his face. They said he returned to the building to help rescue more people as the towers fell. Rescue workers later discovered Crowther’s body among firefighters who had also perished.

The red bandanna has become a symbol through which Boston College annually recognizes Crowther’s life and sacrifice. The annual Red Bandanna Game is marked using red bandanna images on players’ uniforms and typically worn by BC students and fans throughout the stadium.

The sponsorship between Empower Retirement and BC was secured by Boston College Sports Properties, the university’s athletics multimedia rightsholder, and locally based Learfield IMG College team.

About Empower Retirement

Headquartered in metro Denver, Empower Retirement administers approximately $1 trillion in assets for more than 12 million¹ retirement plan participants as of March 31, 2021 is the nation’s second-largest retirement plan recordkeeper by total participants.² Empower serves all segments of the employer-sponsored retirement plan market: government 457 plans; small, midsize and large corporate 401(k) clients; non-profit 403 (b) entities; private-label recordkeeping clients; and IRA customers. Personal Capital, a subsidiary of Empower Retirement, is an industry-leading hybrid wealth manager. For more information please visit empower-retirement.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Media Contacts:

Empower Retirement:

Stephen Gawlik – 303-737-0899 (office), 617-417-4408 (cell)

Boston College:

Jason Baum, j.baum@bc.edu, 617-552-3004

Learn More:

To learn more about how we’re empowering plan sponsors and their participants to be more engaged in their retirement plans than ever before, call us at 800-719-9914.