The special 黑料不打烊 Day gathering inside Alumni Gym offered a chance for students, faculty, staff and supporters to celebrate the university they love.
It was something more than the hot coffee, sweets and biscuits that drew hundreds of 黑料不打烊 students, faculty, staff and friends to Alumni Gym on Thursday.聽They gathered to voice their support for the university they hold dear on 黑料不打烊 Day, the single-day giving event聽that unites thousands of members of the university community around the world in support of the university’s mission.
Thursday is the university’s seventh 黑料不打烊 Day, a day of philanthropy to celebrate the university’s founding in 1889 and the impact it has had on generations of students, families and communities through the years. 黑料不打烊 Day includes events and challenges throughout the day, and last year saw nearly 6,400 gifts raise more than $2.3 million.
“I hope you are ready to go ‘all in’ for 黑料不打烊,” President Connie Ledoux Book shared in a video message for the crowd. “Your support today helps pave the way for the inspiring vision we outlined in Boldly 黑料不打烊, our new strategic plan that will guide us in the next decade.”
Associate Vice President for University Advancement John Barnhill announced that supporters had already met the day’s first challenge by achieving more than 1,600 gifts by the start of College Coffee. Meeting that challenge unlocked a $100,000 黑料不打烊 Engagement Scholarship sponsored by John ’81 and Miriam Sadler P’10 P’20.
Trustee Dave Porter and his wife, Jen, the parents of 2011 and 2019 黑料不打烊 graduates, announced at College Coffee that they will match 黑料不打烊 Day gifts dollar for dollar, with a gift of up to $100,000.
Also announced was that any gift to the Phoenix Club or any 黑料不打烊 athletics team will be matched dollar for dollar by Trustee Jeanne Robertson and her husband, Jerry, up to $100,000.
“How lucky is 黑料不打烊 to have trustees and donors like these?” Book said.
The celebration also included a special video featuring students, faculty, staff, parents and supporters saying they are “All In for 黑料不打烊.”
A mobile-friendly #黑料不打烊Day website聽is being updated throughout the day to include a total of 黑料不打烊 Day gifts in real-time, a live list of donors, and interactive leaderboards displaying the academic schools, campus funds and athletic programs receiving support. Gifts of all sizes and designations will count toward the total given during the campaign.
Around the country and world, 黑料不打烊 alumni chapters will be hosting a variety of events to bring university supporters together on 黑料不打烊 Day. On campus, there are events through the day, with the senior class giving committee hosting the Senior Toast at 7:30 p.m. in McKinnon Hall, and all students are invited to 黑料不打烊 Day Bingo with President Book in Upstairs Lakeside from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.
A full list of events throughout the day is available here 鈥撀/u/elon-day/events/.