Kentucky Wesleyan College received $187,228 in charitable gifts during yesterday’s Giving Tuesday effort – a 27 percent increase over last year’s total of $147,472 – from more than 200 alumni and friends of the College. Giving Tuesday is a worldwide effort that has generated billions of dollars in support of charitable organizations since its inception in 2012. This is the third year Wesleyan has participated. The school had set an initial Giving Tuesday goal of $150,000.
“The support of our alumni and friends helped blow our initial goal out of the water,” said Tom Keith, Wesleyan’s vice president for advancement. “We can’t thank them enough for stepping up to the plate on what has become our most productive single-day fundraising effort.”
Yesterday’s total included 43 gifts of $1,000 or more, and alumni David Hocker ’59 and Jeff White ’72 challenged fellow graduates by committing to match their gifts.
The Giving Tuesday effort was preceded by Monday’s Wesleyan Way Day of Service, which included 417 hours of community service throughout Owensboro and Daviess County carried out by Wesleyan students, employees and alumni. Eighteen service projects were conducted in partnership with area organizations and schools, including Burns Elementary, CrossRoads Owensboro, Deer Park Elementary, Estes Elementary, Habitat for Humanity, Highland Elementary, Meadow Lands Elementary, Munday Activity Center, Newton Parrish Elementary, Owensboro Christian Church, Puzzle Pieces, St. Benedict’s Emergency Shelter, Sorgho Elementary, Tamarack Elementary, West Louisville Elementary, Whitesville Elementary, and Working Hands Owensboro. The college also collected Christmas gifts for 27 area children through a Christmas Wish Carnival on Monday afternoon. The 417 service hours represent a 30% increase from a year ago.
“Kentucky Wesleyan is once again grateful for the tremendous support the College received on Giving Tuesday,” said President Barton D. Darrell. “To have eclipsed our fundraising goal by nearly 30% is a testimony to not only the generosity of our alumni and friends, but also to the importance of providing an affordable, faith-based education. I am equally proud of the work of our students, faculty, staff and alumni during our annual ‘Day of Service’ on Monday. Kentucky Wesleyan is committed to an education that prepares leaders and doers who understand that their careers after college will be primarily about the differences they will make in the lives of others. The incredible participation by the Wesleyan family in service to others during our ‘Day of Service’ is the best evidence of this commitment.”
The service effort was sponsored by ADventures/Wax Works, Butler County UMW, Hendrick Screen Company, Independence Bank and the Owensboro District of the United Methodist Church.
In 2018, the Wesleyan Way Day of Service and Giving Tuesday will take place on Nov. 26-27.
To take advantage of 2017 tax benefits, year-end contributions to the school’s General Scholarship Fund can be made at kwc.edu/give or by calling (270) 852-3142.
