Heroic efforts lead to triumphant 2023 Giving Day
Even without a Bat-Signal or capes, many Newman University supporters answered the call to “Be A Hero” during the fourth annual Giving Day fundraiser Feb. 28.
The 24-hour fundraiser involved $20,000 worth of matching opportunities from generous donors, competitive giving challenges, minute-to-win-it games, a trivia game night and more.
“Our Newman community really embraced the ‘Be A Hero’ theme, from donating to sharing posts on social media, to participating in our live events,” Laura Hartley, director of annual giving, said.
A grand total of $61,847 in the form of 175 gifts was raised thanks to the heroic efforts of each person who donated or spread the word. This fundraising amount outpaced the 2022 Giving Day donations by $16,847.
“We can’t thank our Newman community enough for stepping up to meet the challenge,” Bob Beumer, vice president of institutional advancement, said.
As part of the day’s festivities, Campus Ministry held a challenge to encourage participation. Generous donors surpassed the goal for the Metanoia Fund and raised a total of $5,409. In exchange, Emily Simon, assistant director of Campus Ministry and the Honors Program, agreed to perform a rap titled “Parents Just Don’t Understand” from the TV show “Parks and Recreation.”
“The day showed how much our community cares about Newman students,” Hartley said, “And caring is really what being a hero is all about.”