A special College Coffee inside Alumni Gym on Tuesday morning energized the Ƶ community for its fifth #ƵDay effort.
Cups of coffee helped take the chill off a cold and snowy March morning as the Ƶ campus community gathered in Alumni Gym on Tuesday for a special College Coffee to celebrate #ƵDay, the university's single-day giving event to celebrate its 129th birthday.
Ƶ is marking its fifth #ƵDay, a day of giving that brings together those on campus and thousands of alumni, parents and friends of Ƶ around the world to support the mission of the university they hold dear. With events and displays of encouragement and appreciation throughout the day, the university is hoping to top last year's record-breaking tally of 4,299 gifts totaling more than $1,075,025.
"Today we are making a commitment to the future of Ƶ," said President Connie Ledoux Book, who is celebrating her first #ƵDay as the university's ninth president. "We can do more in the years ahead because of what we accomplish today, together."
An enthusiastic response to kick off #ƵDay Tuesday morning meant donors met the first challenge of the day with more than 1,250 gifts by 9:30 a.m. With the challenge met, the Ƶ Alumni Board will endow a new $100,000 scholarship for Ƶ students.
Jeanne Robertson of Burlington, N.C., an Ƶ trustee who with her husband, Jerry, has been a steadfast supporter of the university, told the crowd gathered in Alumni Gym that athletics originally drew the couple to Ƶ. To honor and support that athletics connection, Robertson announced that they would be , up to a total contribution of $100,000 from the Robertsons.
Throughout the day, Ƶ fans can enjoy a series of videos featuring Robertson, a humorist and motivational speaker, with a range of Phoenix teams. Robertson encouraged the crowd — those in Alumni Gym and those viewing College Coffee live online — to find the videos on @ƵPhoenix social media accounts with the #JoinJeanne hashtag.
"While you're laughing at the videos, go ahead and be making your contribution, too," Robertson said.
College Coffee offered another opportunity for Ƶ to congratulate the women's basketball team, which will compete in its second-straight NCAA tournament following its Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship win last weekend. Selected as a No. 13 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Ƶ women will face N.C. State University at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.
"I can't say enough about the success of this team," President Book said. "I like record breakers. Today, we're going to take their lead on Ƶ Day. Let's break a record today!"
A mobile-friendly # is being updated throughout the day to include a total of Ƶ 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.
SGA President Morgan Bodenarain '18 announced another challenge, with gifts to Ƶ's Greatest Needs matched dollar-for-dollar by Stephen and Susan Paneyko '20 and two anonymous Ƶ families, up to $100,000. "Together let's make this the most successful day of giving in Ƶ's history."
On-campus events include the senior class giving committee’s at 8 p.m. in McKinnon Hall, and at 9 p.m. with food, drinks and games.
From 1 to 4 p.m., students can celebrate #ƵDay by catching a ride to class in two "Prize Cab" golf carts driven by Ƶ Student Alumni Ambassadors who will give them the chance to answer questions and win prizes.
Ambassadors will also be manning a photo booth on the first floor of Moseley Center and provide the opportunity to share pictures and comments on social media from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Last year, the #ƵDay hashtag became a nationally trending topic on Twitter and Instagram with more than 4,500 mentions across all social media channels.
Alumni chapters and clubs will hold more than 40 #ƵDay events across the country and in London.