Thank you, Knight Nation! As we express our gratitude and appreciation, we applaud all of you who supported our mission to unleash potential and celebrated all things Black & Gold during ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving 2024, April 11. In a 24-hour show of generosity, you helped raise more than $9.1 million for your university. Thatβs more than any previous ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving and a 34% increase from last year.
Continue to help ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ unleash the potential of our Knights.
Your contributions are emblematic of pride for all things Black & Gold and a belief in strengthening our local community, funding life-changing scholarships, championing world-class athletics, pioneering advanced learning facilities and curriculum, driving in-depth research and reinforcing our universityβs global reputation.
βThe incredible success of this yearβs ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving speaks to the extraordinary pride in our university and for the exciting future we are building together,β ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ President Alexander N. Cartwright says. βWe are thankful for the generosity of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends, and for the investments made in the causes closest to their hearts. These gifts will drive our excellence, support student success, advance exploration and discovery, and unleash potential.β
Celebration of Black & Gold Community
By making 10,356 gifts, inspired donors across the globe rallied together for the community-driven effort β supporting the university and areas that aim to empower Knights and solve the worldβs most significant challenges. These contributions were made across all 50 U.S. states, as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
βWe are truly grateful to Knight Nation for the outpouring of support on ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving,β says Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Foundation. βYesterdayβs results are a testament to the strength, generosity and vision of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ family and a reminder of our collective power to accelerate progress. With each of these gifts, we celebrate β no matter what size, big or small β our capacity to do more.β
A Time to Get Involved
With more than 45 virtual challenges throughout ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving, Knights from across the country and around the world joined the global conversation and got behind fun challenges to boost support for the areas that mean the most to them. Leaderboards displayed on the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving website kept track of their designated challenges in real-time. Among the top colleges and units by participation were the College of Arts and Humanities, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics, the College of Health Professions and Sciences, the College of Nursing, and the College of Community Innovation and Education.
Participation in these events not only reminds students of the importance of philanthropy, but also has a way of igniting conversations about how their involvement, not just their donations, can make an enormous impact on ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ beyond the classroom. Kinesiology major Brooke Johnson embraced one of those discussions and joined 4EVER Knights, an organization that serves as a bridge between students and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumni.
βBeing involved in 4EVER KNIGHTS has provided me with so many experiences, including opportunities to educate fellow Knights about the power of philanthropy,β says Johnson, 4EVER KNIGHTS president. βΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving is my favorite day of the year because it is a day of celebrating all things Black & Gold. I love being at the Student Union Takeover each year to celebrate ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ with our student body and giving back to a school that provides so many amazing opportunities for students like me!β
The Taking Flight Foundation Scholarship: Increasing Access to Education
During ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving 2024, generosity from 4,679 donors supported more than 200 areas, including scholarships, which are critical to ensure students have the access and opportunity needed to be successful.
For students growing up in a single-parent home, educational expenses can be a significant burden. Business alumnus Mark Norato β91 knows firsthand. He grew up in an impoverished neighborhood near Miami International Airport with his mother and brother. That experience was the motivation for him to create The Taking Flight Foundation and choose ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving to establish a . The scholarship aligns with The Taking Flight Foundation he launched and personally funded in honor of his motherβs career in the airline industry.
βI want the students who receive this scholarship to feel special,β says Norato, vice president for North American Partners in Anesthesia. βThey are going to have access to a network of people who are willing to help them. I want these kids to have access to something I never had. Itβs more than a scholarship, itβs a flight plan for life. If this changes the trajectory for just one studentβs life β just one β it will be worth it.β
Continue to help ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ unleash the potential of our Knights.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Day of Giving lasts one day, but your contributions will last a lifetime. By investing, you create impact β no matter the amount, areas supported or number of gifts. You empower every Knight to pursue their passions, chase their dreams and help make the world a better place. Thank you again, Knight Nation, for celebrating all that ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has accomplished.
