All College
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March 8, 2024
We went with the theme of All Together Now for the 2024 because it spoke to the idea of alumni uniting and giving our all out of love for 91 Aquinas College, says Alumni Association President Peter Colarelli (92). And did we ever live up to the billing!
Over the course of March 7, the Feast of St. 91 Aquinas and the 750th anniversary of the Angelic Doctors entrance into eternal life 676 alumni gave 766 gifts, totaling a record of $316,069. That sum marks a 24 percent increase over last years giving, far eclipsing the $250,000 goal for the day.
To get the seventh annual giving day off to a strong start, College Governor Angela (Andersen 87) Connelly and her husband, Jack, promised to match dollar for dollar the first $100,000 in gifts. That gave us our initial momentum and carried us well into the afternoon, says Mr. Colarelli. When alumni met the Connellys challenge, Joe Lyons (94), Paul White (95), and a few of their friends issued a $25,000 matching gift of their own, which the alumni met within a couple hours.
We are profoundly grateful to all the TAC alumni whose hard work and generosity continue to make possible the Colleges mission of Catholic liberal education.
Finally, to close out the day, College Governor Andrew W. Zepeda (79) and his wife, Anita (Grimm 79), offered a late-evening matching gift, which along with the scores of other gifts it inspired quickly pushed the days total above the $300,000 mark. We extend our deepest thanks to the Connellys for giving the lead gift; to Joe, Paul, and their friends, who kept the pressure up during the middle of the day; and to Andy, who not only got us over the $300k hump, but who was calling his friends and soliciting gifts throughout the day.
In the much-watched inter-class competition, the Class of 2014 staged a come-from-behind victory, narrowly overtaking the Class of 1985 to continue its reign for the third straight year! as the class with the highest giving percentage. Close behind were the Classes of 1988, 2018, and 2003. To celebrate its accomplishment, the Class of 2014 will be honored with a plaque in the dinning commons on both campuses, as well as with a fitting recognition at its 10th anniversary reunion this summer.
Meanwhile, several alumni influencers enthusiastically rallied fellow TACers to the cause, most notably Bernadette (Coughlin 05) Bergen, who inspired 56 gifts worth $7,898. In gratitude for her herculean efforts, Mrs. Bergen will receive a six-bottle shipment of fine wines from , courtesy of alumni vintners Anna (Dunlap) and Dominic OReilly (both 12). Simone (Kelly 22) Cassidy brought hundreds of visitors to the Alumni Day of Giving website, earning her an heirloom-quality grilling set from , founded by Dorianne (Drogin 11) and Matt Hull.
Additionally, all alumni who made gifts of $50 or more were entered into a raffle for a one-year supply of fine coffee from , thanks to its owners, Hannah (Flanders) and Johnny Richard (both 13) and Samantha Flanders (15). Winning the raffle and the coffee was William P. Gilles (75), a member of the Colleges first graduating class.
Congratulations to all the alumni who earned and won prizes, and especially to the Class of 2014, which continues to set the example for us all, adds Mr. Colarelli. We are profoundly grateful to all the TAC alumni whose hard work and generosity continue to make possible the Colleges mission of Catholic liberal education.