More than 4,000 donors participated in Tiger Giving Day, held last week at Auburn University, giving to 40 campus-wide projects of which 33 met their full fundraising goals.
The fifth annual day of giving featured projects that benefit students, faculty, research and the community. The Feb. 19 effort broke previous Tiger Giving Day records.
Donor Michele Williams, of Wetumpka, Alabama, has given to a variety of Tiger Giving Day projects for the past several years. Each year, she reviews the projects and then picks the ones meaningful to her.
“I love how my ‘little’ gifts make a bigger contribution,” Williams said. “Because the goals are attainable, it’s a cool event to have every year. I come from a military family, so the Veterans Resource Center project appealed to me and the Wheelchair Basketball team’s project as well because they persevere playing a very competitive sport.”
The Wheelchair Basketball team’s project focused on creating scholarships to support recruiting efforts.
“Without the overwhelming generosity of the donors who supported us through Tiger Giving Day, it would not be possible for us to pursue our passion,” said Sam Armas, sophomore and wheelchair basketball student-athlete. “These donors have given us the opportunity to chase our dreams every day while minimizing the obstacles that would prevent us from doing so. As a former recipient of a scholarship, I know how this will impact our future recruits and their families, and I am grateful they will be able to join the Auburn Family.”
The Veterans Resource Center project raised funds to support the technology demands student veterans struggle to obtain during their college careers.
A few examples of Tiger Giving Day projects:
- The Canine Performance Sciences program can support its February litter of puppies. ($36,745 raised from 298 donors)
- Asthma Camp Eagle, a free day camp for children who have asthma, can expand its staff and supplies so more campers can attend. ($10,580 raised from 158 donors)
- The Honors College Service Closet can be stocked with needed materials for service projects. ($10,030 raised from 130 donors)
- The Auburn Student Alumni Association created four new scholarships. ($4,425 raised from 90 donors)
- The Miller Writing Center can fund additional student staff salaries. ($5,000 raised from 65 donors)
- The Theme Park Engineering Group can represent Auburn University at the Ryerson Invitational Thrill Design Competition. ($5,000 raised from 90 donors)
- The Department of Music in the College of Liberal Arts can now outfit a recording studio as part of an initiative to add a Music Technology Program. ($26,937 raised from 94 donors)
All projects and their updates can be viewed at TigerGiving.org.
