GREENVILLE, Pa.—Match Day, Thiel College’s one-day fundraiser, set records for money raised and total donors for its Paws Across America event on Feb. 24.
In addition to raising an event-record $283,000, participants walked, ran or rode 2,752 miles (more than enough to cover the distance from New York to Los Angeles through Greenville, Pa., of course). For the seventh straight year, the number of donors for the event increased, with 579 donors contributing.
“Meeting our goal is tremendous, but breaking a single-day fundraising record is a testament to the enthusiasm and spirit of our donors and supporters,” Thiel College Vice President for College Advancement Roberta Leonard said. “Having partners setting up the matching grants set this event up for success but that was hardly the whole story, our community rallied and more than matched those match goals. This effort truly illustrates what a collaborative spirit can accomplish. Students, alumni, faculty and staff members all contributed to making this day historic.”
Video highlights from Match Day.
As an added incentive for participation, Match Day organizers set a goal to get participants to pledge miles in an effort to connect a pathway across the country. Students, faculty, staff and friends of the College spent the day walking or jogging laps at the Dr. Barry ’70 and Carol Stamm ’71 Track & Field Complex walking or running 625 miles. The 408 participants made 2,500 laps around the Colonel Charles “Bud” Manes ’58 Track during a cold February day where temperatures were below freezing for most of the day. Their mileage was added to the 2,100-plus miles that were walked, jogged or rode by the members of the Thiel College community in the month prior to Match Day. More than half the students participated in the event.
“Once again the Thiel College community, both near and far, has risen to the occasion of Match Day. Philanthropy was present in many ways—through monetary donations, gifts of volunteer service and through the support of participation—all for the good of what the community values, which is Thiel College,” Match Day coordinator and director of advancement Mark Batt ’87 said.
Gifts for Match Day go to the College’s Thiel Fund, which is the largest source of unrestricted funds at the College. The Thiel Fund is used to support the areas of greatest need of the College, funding need-based scholarships, academic programming, athletics, and campus improvements. This fund annually provides for the challenges such as unseen expenses, student needs and special opportunities. Match Day is also spurred by fundraising competitions between fraternities and sororities on campus and other organizations, clubs and academic programs. Those affinity groups compete to be the top donating organization.
This year’s amount raised pushed the total amount the event has generated since its launch in 2014 to more than $1.3 million. The College has been singled out by Forbes three times since 2016 for the generosity of its donors.
“This event has truly turned into one of the highlights for our campus,” Leonard said. “It feels like every year a new branch of our family steps forward to be counted. The Greek participants really help power this event, but this year, members of our athletic teams made their biggest contributions. This event makes us all proud to be Tomcats today.”
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.
