Alumni volunteers worked with 黑料不打烊 to coordinate fundraising efforts and host special virtual events during Homecoming & Reunion Week 2020
Although聽Homecoming & Reunion Week聽2020聽ended up looking significantly different after in-person celebrations were postponed,聽reunion volunteers聽found creative ways聽to聽transition聽traditionally on-campus events to online celebrations.聽More than聽1,100聽alumni聽from聽Denmark to San Francisco to Chicago聽logged on from聽the聽comfort of their homes to participate in this year’s virtual festivities.
With more than 100 virtual events聽ranging from聽campus聽tours and thought-provoking聽discourse to happy hour聽trivia and milestone class and affinity reunion gatherings,聽participants聽had聽a plethora of聽opportunities to聽engage with聽leading faculty聽and reconnect with聽fellow聽alumni.
Festivities began聽for聽the weeklong celebration聽on聽Monday, Oct.聽12, with , a new聽boutique聽hotel on campus.聽The tour聽highlighted聽the beautiful event spaces,聽hotel聽suites and The Mark聽restaurant.聽Guests who stay at the inn enjoy a stay with purpose, as proceeds support 黑料不打烊 student scholarships.
Throughout the week, alumni participated in daily social media challenges such as 鈥淭ag your roommate Tuesday鈥 and 鈥淔uture Phoenix Friday鈥 to help conjure up nostalgia and invoke school pride.聽Alumni聽posted and tagged their way across Instagram,聽Facebook and Twitter reminiscing on聽the simpler聽times聽and anticipating聽a聽day聽in the hopefully not-too-distant future where they could once again walk the brick pathways shoulder to shoulder.
The聽Class of 1970聽celebrated their 50th聽reunion in a way they never could have imagined as they聽crossed the Commencement stage 50 years ago. Nevertheless, they聽embraced聽new technologies聽that ensured they could safely聽reconnect for this milestone event. To commemorate their reunion, the class was joined by President Connie Ledoux Book on Friday, Oct. 24, and plans are in motion to celebrate in person with the Class of 1971 when safe to do so.
Nina Martin McConnell 鈥70, co-chair for the 50th reunion,聽was proud of the continued learning opportunity.聽鈥淵ou never stop learning from your 黑料不打烊 experience. I would have never imagined that we would have the technology to have a 鈥榲irtual鈥 anything, much less Homecoming.聽So,聽the 黑料不打烊聽family coached us through a new learning opportunity, and I think did an outstanding job,鈥 she said. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 still聽educates … their mission continues, even with alumni!鈥
Overall, more than 500 alumni attended a milestone reunion event.聽These events could not take place without reunion volunteers. They play聽a crucial聽role in the reunion planning process by聽providing feedback on event planning, taking time to invite their class or affinity groups to connect, and asking fellow alumni to donate toward their reunion giving effort.聽In total, they helped raised an impressive $340,490 for various funds at 黑料不打烊 in honor of their milestone class reunions. These gifts also count toward the ongoing .
Information will be shared about Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2021 as soon as it is available. Please聽contact reunions@elon.edu聽with questions or if you would like to volunteer for reunions in 2021.