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For hundreds of students, faculty and staff members, the celebration of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s 125th anniversary on March 11 also included the opportunity to express their appreciation to donors who have helped make their ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ experience possible.

Participants in A Thousand Thanks wrote more than 1,100 notes to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ donors, exceeding the event’s previous record of 564 notes written in one day. The event also garnered the support of an anonymous ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ employee, who pledged to give the university $1 for each note written.

“I’m glad to see that this event is becoming an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ tradition,” says Kelly Smith ’14, student organizer of A Thousand Thanks. “Because tuition doesn’t cover the entire cost of attending ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ each year, every ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ student is on partial scholarship in a sense. Donors bridge the gap, and we have them to thank for the professorships, facilities and programs that make ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ the special school it is.”

The event, held March 12, included six locations around campus where members of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ community could write thank-you notes. The stations were staffed by members of various ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ student organizations. President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 paid a visit to the Moseley Center’s Thousand Thanks table and wrote several notes.

Notes were written on postcards featuring the prompt, “Because of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ donors, I…” and the responses covered a wide range of topics including ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s study abroad program, campus facilities, scholarships, faculty, cultural programs, athletics and academic programs.

“Because of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ donors, I am able to thrive in a small classroom setting with personal connections with professors,” wrote one student.

Another expressed gratitude for the opportunities for growth at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ, saying “Because of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ donors, I figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Thanks for supporting an institution that promotes curiosity and academic exploration.”

The reach of A Thousand Thanks extended far beyond ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s campus, with students submitting thank-you notes electronically from study abroad programs around the world.

Senior Brian Sullivan, who volunteered on behalf of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Phonathon at the Thousand Thanks table located in the Writing Center in Belk Library, noted the many different ways philanthropy plays a role at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ.

“Since no two students have an identical ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ experience, it was great to see what donors and supporters have done to make every student’s experience so unique and special,” says Sullivan.  “Events like A Thousand Thanks really show ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students’ true colors and prove again and again why we are all so lucky to be a part of this community.”

For more information about A Thousand Thanks, visit .