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Maroons raise over $1 million on Day of Giving

May 25, 2020

Day of Giving logo

Roanoke College’s second annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour event held on May 13, raised more than $1 million for students who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 840 members of the College community — alumni, parents, students, friends, faculty and staff — raised $1,047,498, providing crucial funds and resources to assist students and families. Money raised will help provide necessary funds for academic resources, student scholarships, and immediate financial support for any students experiencing unexpected hardship.

“From the outset of planning our Day of Giving, we were focused on helping students and their families impacted by the global, COVID-19 pandemic,” said Aaron Fetrow, the College’s vice president for Resource Development. “At the end of the day, I wasn’t surprised by the response of Maroons to ensure that every Roanoke College student who wanted to come back could come back and that not one student would stay home in the fall because of financial issues,”

Thanks to three generous alumni challenges, 601 of the gifts received on Giving Day were either doubled or tripled. An anonymous alumna matched the first $50,000 in gifts to the Roanoke Fund, a fundraising initiative that provides critical funds to support the College's most immediate needs. Two alumni, Shaun McConnon ’66 and Danae Psilopoulos Foley ’92, each offered separate three-to-one matches for Roanoke Fund gifts, totaling $325,000.

From the outset of planning our Day of Giving, we were focused on helping students and their families impacted by the global, COVID-19 pandemic.

Aaron Fetrow, Vice President for Resource Development, Roanoke College

Other highlights:

  • Dr. L. Diane Parham and Harry Trigg, former co-chairs of the Roanoke College Parent Leadership Council, offered a generous $10,000 match for all gifts from parents.
  • Alumni from 69 classes participated.
  • The oldest class represented was 1947.

“We never considered any other focus, whatsoever,” Fetrow said of this year's Day of Giving purpose. “We were resolute in the fact that a Day of Giving was a necessity. One of our challenge donors noted that prior giving to the College was important, but this gift ‘felt so much better knowing that it was going directly to students.’”