By John Burch, ’20 ΔΤΔ
It’s that time of the year again! The holidays are fast approaching and with them, Giving Tuesday! Student Ambassadors and the Westminster Community as a whole have been hard at work to make this Giving Tuesday one of the most successful in recent memory.
So, what exactly is Giving Tuesday? For anyone who does not know, Giving Tuesday is an annual event hosted by Westminster Student Ambassadors to raise money for the Westminster Fund by asking students and alumni to make a contribution. The Westminster Fund provides important funding for many of the outstanding educational experiences that every student receives on this campus. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for students to give back to Westminster and a way to show appreciation during the holiday season for all Westminster has done in our lives. To make this year one of the most successful we have had, there are many incentives and opportunities to participate.
Greek Organizations Compete
For starters, this year we are having a competition between all the Greek organizations to see which organization can raise the most money! The competition is separated between the sororities and fraternities so there will be two total champions. The fraternity and sorority that raises the most money from within their respective chapters will win the competition. The incentives for winning the fundraising competition are bragging rights over the other Greek chapters, but also garners some great PR on social media. Student Ambassadors believes making an annual Greek Challenge for Giving Tuesday is a great way to get more students involved. It is also a way for the Greek community to give back for all Westminster has done to promote Greek Life and foster leadership on campus.
Westminster’s Student Ambassadors, above, coordinate Giving Tuesday each year.
Gifts in Honor of Someone
In addition to the Greek challenge, the Student Ambassadors have brought back giving a gift in honor of someone who has affected your Westminster experience. This means when a contribution is made, the person giving the contribution can write down a name of a facility or staff member who has helped them and a short explanation of why they are gifting in honor of that person. We think this is a great way to show faculty and staff the difference they make in our daily life and to remind them how thankful students are for their hard work and sacrifices. Along with giving in honor of someone, Student Ambassadors are giving a Westminster Giving Tuesday t-shirt to any person who contributes at least $5! On top of all that, President Lamkin is going to match all student donations dollar for dollar!
Reasons to Give
With all of these incentives and opportunities for students to contribute, we truly think this will be a very successful Giving Tuesday. Here are a few other reasons why students are giving to the Westminster Fund:
“I give to the Westminster Fund because I want to give back to a place that has given me so much. I see Giving Tuesday as a day to give thanks to Westminster and all the amazing opportunities and experiences it has given me. By supporting the Westminster Fund, I am able to support the professors who sacrifice so much for their students and the future students who deserve the same opportunity I had to experience all the great things Westminster has to offer.” – John Burch, ’20
“Westminster gives a piece to my puzzle each day, so I love having the opportunity to give a piece in return.” – Samantha Henderson, ’21
Our students love Westminster and they truly want future generations of Westminster students to experience the same opportunities they had. A gift from you would help ensure this happens and will help prepare students to leave Westminster educated and inspired to make a true impact on the world — something Westminster alumni have been able to accomplish since the founding of the College in 1851.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.