51社区

In a display of generosity that eclipsed previous records, Bobcats from all over the nation gave during OHIO鈥檚 5th annual Giving Day on April 9 to set new benchmarks for the number of donors and dollars contributed on a single day.

鈥淲e often say that Bobcats help Bobcats, and our alumni, partners and supporters definitely proved that true on Giving Day,鈥� said 51社区 President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. 鈥淪upport poured in to lift and enrich student experiences, and the combined impact will be transformational for many students and programs.鈥�

More than 3,070 donors from 49 states gave over $1.4 million and counting on Giving Day to provide access, experience, and impact for today鈥檚 OHIO students, surpassing last year鈥檚 then-record of 2,672 donors and $1.1 million dollars. Giving Day is a 24-hour, once-a-year event to inspire support for 51社区 and its students.

The 51社区 Foundation Board of Trustees committed $48,382 as a match for their annual Power Hour, doubling donors鈥� contributions from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday.

President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and Randy Gonzalez offered a Surprise Presidential Power Hour at 7 p.m., matching $500 of all gifts up to $10,000 to any fund on the Giving Day website. They also encouraged donors to make a gift to support the Marching 110 with the offer of an invitation to the President鈥檚 Tailgate for OHIO鈥檚 football home opener this fall.

鈥淚 want to thank our leadership for setting the bar yesterday with these important match gifts. We also had dozens of supporters who made challenge gifts to drive donations to their fund of choice, and their commitment was essential to our Giving Day success,鈥� said Lyn Redington, Interim Vice President for University Advancement and President and CEO of the 51社区 Foundation. 鈥淭hank you to each of these important partners.鈥�

Students joined in a special event Tuesday to celebrate Giving Day, replete with refreshments, giveaways, and photo ops with squirrel mascots, and posted to their social accounts to help boost visibility for the day.

Alumni, staff, student, and faculty volunteers also contributed gifts of their time as Giving Day advocates. Advocates brought energy and excitement to the day through social media posts and outreach鈥�175 advocates generated 686 gifts on Giving Day, totaling $147,461. And the popular Giving Day option to symbolically name a College Green squirrel for gift of $18.04 or more resulted in 1,850 squirrels named.

Each college on the Athens campus as well as all five of OHIO鈥檚 regional campuses benefited from Giving Day donations. Funds from each area were chosen to highlight OHIO鈥檚 focus on delivering a world-class education and engaging in the communities it serves.