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Students fan the torch of philanthropy at Queen’s


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Bright red, yellow and blue tags attached to equipment, furniture and buildings across campus today celebrate alumni gifts to Queen’s. By drawing attention to the many ways in which former students support their alma maters, the University is able to highlight philanthropic giving and its impact on the every-day life of the campus.

“The sheer number of items labeled will make these gifts highly visible and I think most people will be inclined to read the information on the tags to find out what this is all about,” says annual giving officer Ruth Wannnemacher.

Supporting the growing trend on university campuses to educate students about the value of philanthropic giving, this initiative aims to foster the tradition and uphold the legacy of giving in a new generation of students.

Annual Giving at Queen’s last year raised $5.5 million and the goal this year is $6 million. The goal includes gifts from staff, faculty, parents, students and alumni.

“Alumni giving far exceeds this total when we count major and planned gifts though,” says Paul Chesser, director of Annual Giving. “Support from many people giving whatever amount they can give is the key to annual giving success.”

The tags carry a message reminding current students that alumni donations enhance the education experience for the students that follow. At Queen’s, alumni giving starts with the ThankQ gift presented each year to the university by graduating classes.

“The ThankQ gift is so important to student life at the university that it should be recognized,” says Melissa Pogue (ArtSci 09) Advancement and Development Officer for Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS). “I knew nothing about this traditional gift until this year, and I feel that it should become part of the student experience from day one.”

Working with Ms Wannemacher, ThankQ 2008 co-chairs Fanny Yuen (AppSci o8) (Discipline ‘08) and Jess Lindal (ArtSci 08)), and tag teams from each faculty at the university will complete the tagging prior to students arriving on campus this morning.

An ad campaign to run in the Queen’s Gazette and Queen’s Journal this week reinforces the tradition and the importance of philanthropy.

A second initiative next week celebrates students by offering a free brunch and stress-free social event. Co-sponsored by the AMS Sesquicentennial and the ThankQ Class of 2008 Committee to ease the AMS into sesquicentennial celebrations and kick off the graduating class gift campaign that are both set to begin in January, Crunch Brunch, an alcohol-free event, will provide a hot breakfast buffet for students between 9 pm and mid-night on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, the last night before exams.

Alumni, staff and faculty volunteers will serve up breakfast to support the students’ efforts and commitment to Queen’s.



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