A Day for Southern Soars to Record Donations
9/11/2013 2:38:00 PM | General
40th annual event raises more than $2.1 million
STATESBORO, Ga. –Georgia Southern University alumni, faculty, staff and supporters in Statesboro and Bulloch county made history during the 40th annual A Day for Southern. They donated a record $2,111,160 during the fundraising campaign.
The Georgia Southern University Foundation will use that money for academics, athletics, scholarships, faculty and staff along with community resources including the Performing Arts Center, the Georgia Southern Museum and the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball Jr. Raptor Center.
"As this University continues to grow, Statesboro and Bulloch County continue to grow with us, and this is a wonderful two-way street," said University President Brooks A. Keel. "We have always enjoyed tremendous support from the community. Statesboro and Bulloch County stepped up big this year in a major way to give us not only a record-setting number but also a record-setting opportunity as we move forward."
The $2.1 million total revealed Tuesday night during a celebration at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center included donations and pledges made to Georgia Southern by University employees and community members since last year's A Day for Southern. The University looks forward to a new year of giving starting tomorrow. "I continue to be amazed at just how much support the people of Statesboro and Bulloch County give to Georgia Southern," said Alex Grovenstein, director of annual giving. "Their investment in what this University is doing is truly humbling. Their generosity puts students in position for academic success."
A two-year starter on the Georgia Southern Football team, center Manrey Saint-Amour addressed the volunteers at a breakfast Tuesday morning before they began their calls in the community. The junior from Suwanee, Ga., spoke about the opportunity to receive an education through his football scholarship and how he came to his decision to choose Georgia Southern.
"Because of what our donors have done for us, I am allowed to be here, I can put on that helmet every Saturday, put on the blue and white, be a part of the tradition on the banks of Eagle Creek, and receive a free education, it is a blessing." Saint-Amour said. "Without our Eagle Fund, I would not be standing here today. I would not have had the opportunity to play the game in a beautiful place like Statesboro, and it's not just for me. It's to give 400 other student-athletes the opportunity to play the sport they love and receive an education. It has had such an impact on our lives."
Saint-Amour thanked the donors and volunteers for the opportunity at Georgia Southern that has made a difference in his life. He closed his comments with a passage that has inspired him and related its message to the impact athletics scholarships have had on those Eagle Football alumni who have benefited from the opportunities presented to them. His remarks received a standing ovation from the crowd.
When A Day for Southern began four decades ago, the first year recorded $67,000 in donations. As the bond between Georgia Southern and Statesboro and Bulloch County grew stronger, the results of the fundraising campaign began to climb higher and higher. Supporters of A Day for Southern have given more than a million dollars annually to the University for 16 consecutive years.
"This day has been so much fun and an exciting time to remind each other what the community and Georgia Southern mean to each other," said Phyllis Thompson, community chair of A Day for Southern. "They make each other more successful and more appealing to our new students and the people who live here. It's a great partnership that we have."
The Georgia Southern University Foundation will use that money for academics, athletics, scholarships, faculty and staff along with community resources including the Performing Arts Center, the Georgia Southern Museum and the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball Jr. Raptor Center.
"As this University continues to grow, Statesboro and Bulloch County continue to grow with us, and this is a wonderful two-way street," said University President Brooks A. Keel. "We have always enjoyed tremendous support from the community. Statesboro and Bulloch County stepped up big this year in a major way to give us not only a record-setting number but also a record-setting opportunity as we move forward."
The $2.1 million total revealed Tuesday night during a celebration at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center included donations and pledges made to Georgia Southern by University employees and community members since last year's A Day for Southern. The University looks forward to a new year of giving starting tomorrow. "I continue to be amazed at just how much support the people of Statesboro and Bulloch County give to Georgia Southern," said Alex Grovenstein, director of annual giving. "Their investment in what this University is doing is truly humbling. Their generosity puts students in position for academic success."
A two-year starter on the Georgia Southern Football team, center Manrey Saint-Amour addressed the volunteers at a breakfast Tuesday morning before they began their calls in the community. The junior from Suwanee, Ga., spoke about the opportunity to receive an education through his football scholarship and how he came to his decision to choose Georgia Southern.
"Because of what our donors have done for us, I am allowed to be here, I can put on that helmet every Saturday, put on the blue and white, be a part of the tradition on the banks of Eagle Creek, and receive a free education, it is a blessing." Saint-Amour said. "Without our Eagle Fund, I would not be standing here today. I would not have had the opportunity to play the game in a beautiful place like Statesboro, and it's not just for me. It's to give 400 other student-athletes the opportunity to play the sport they love and receive an education. It has had such an impact on our lives."
Saint-Amour thanked the donors and volunteers for the opportunity at Georgia Southern that has made a difference in his life. He closed his comments with a passage that has inspired him and related its message to the impact athletics scholarships have had on those Eagle Football alumni who have benefited from the opportunities presented to them. His remarks received a standing ovation from the crowd.
When A Day for Southern began four decades ago, the first year recorded $67,000 in donations. As the bond between Georgia Southern and Statesboro and Bulloch County grew stronger, the results of the fundraising campaign began to climb higher and higher. Supporters of A Day for Southern have given more than a million dollars annually to the University for 16 consecutive years.
"This day has been so much fun and an exciting time to remind each other what the community and Georgia Southern mean to each other," said Phyllis Thompson, community chair of A Day for Southern. "They make each other more successful and more appealing to our new students and the people who live here. It's a great partnership that we have."
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