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�Թ��� – Each spring, �Թ��� invites alumni and friends to show their support during its annual day of giving, BU Giving Day. This year’s theme was “Zoom-ing Forward” with a goal of 200 donors. That goal was surpassed with 234 donors and over $148,000 raised. The Class of 2020, perhaps one of the classes with the hardest end to their college career, placed second by total givers in this year’s giving day.

Gifts to the university on BU Giving Day go toward supporting student scholarships, academic programs, athletics, and other areas of need. In the past year, with the global health crisis, �Թ��� was able to house and provide meals for many students who were not able to return home, provided technology and learning platforms needed to continue classes remotely, and allowed employees to continue working a flexible schedule if needed thanks to the generosity of donors.

“I’m very proud of �Թ���’s alumni, faculty, staff, students, and parents for their success in meeting this year’s BU Giving Day goal,” expressed Josh Grubb, associate vice president of institutional advancement. “They accomplished a lot in one day, and I know our students are very grateful for their love and support.”

For the second year in a row, the university partnered with a local alumna to offer an incentive to help local businesses along with �Թ��� students.

The giving incentive, BU Loves Local, generated a $25 gift card or certificate to a local business each time someone gave $50 or more to the university on BU Giving Day. A generous alum agreed to partner with the university toward the purchase of gift cards for the first 120 donors who gave $50 and choose the BU Loves Local incentive. The donors will be contacted and asked to choose a local business they wanted the university to support. The gift cards will be purchased in May and distributed to �Թ��� students in random drawings when they return to campus in the fall.

Other BU Giving Day challenges included the Presidential Challenge by Dr. David and Kathryn Olive who gave $3,000.

$5,000 was unlocked when 50 donors gave thanks to Mike Harris (’97) and BU Friends.

Garry (’74) and Isis Jones and BU Friends pledged to give $35,000 over the course of 200 donors. Jones is the president of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

David Bailey (’60) and Rod Hale (’60) matched up to $7,000 for the classes of 1959-1961.

Alumnus and Christian Illusionist Joseph Young Magic (’94 ) joined BU Giving Day in a big way by creating an annual scholarship for �Թ��� nursing students. BU is starting its four-year baccalaureate of nursing program this fall, and Young wanted to encourage male nurses to join the nursing field with this scholarship.

One of the highlights of the day came from the Class of 2020. The recent graduating class, with the hardest end to their college career, placed second by total givers on BU Giving Day.

“�Թ��� has been helping since I transferred as a student in 2018,” said Gabe Blakman (’20), advancement services coordinator and office manager. “It has helped me grow as a person and as a professional, and it is safe to say that I can call the people surrounding me in my day-to-day work, family. I will always support �Թ��� as much as I can!”