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Alumni Day of Giving 2024

 

œWe 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¿ì»îÁÖ Aquinas College,� says Alumni Association President Peter Colarelli (™92). œAnd did we ever live up to the billing!�

Over the course of March 7, the Feast of St. 91¿ì»îÁÖ Aquinas ” and the 750th anniversary of the Angelic Doctor™s entrance into eternal life ” 676 alumni gave 766 gifts, totaling a record of $316,069. That sum marks a 24 percent increase over last year™s 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. œThat 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.

œWe are profoundly grateful to all the TAC alumni whose hard work and generosity continue to make possible the College™s 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 day™s total above the $300,000 mark. œWe 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 O™Reilly (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 College™s first graduating class.

œCongratulations 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. œWe are profoundly grateful to all the TAC alumni whose hard work and generosity continue to make possible the College™s mission of Catholic liberal education.�