Within the first fifteen minutes, over 200 letters of appreciation were addressed to alumni and signed by students.
On Thursday, Feb. 27, at Cabrini College, students showed their appreciation by going to the Iadarola Center where they read the pre-written letters, addressed to alumni. The thank you went to 300 Cabrini Alumni who made an annual gift last year. For every five letters signed, one free #GiveBack CAv Traditions T-shirt was given out. The Cavalier Traditions program engages students with the Cabrini College Alumni Association during their four years at the College.
“It was a day to celebrate the Cabrini alumni who continually make contributions,” Lead Student and senior individualized communications with diverse audiences major, David Watson said. “It’s a thank a-thon, personalized thank you letter signed by a current student.”
The idea was first brought to Cabrini’s CAv Traditions’ mind when the Coordinator for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Programs and Cabrini’s coaching staff, Nick Taylor, recommended it after hearing about Michigan State doing it last year. “He brought it to my attention earlier this fall,” Watson said. “Then we thought it would be a cool thing to bring to our Cabrini community with CAv traditions supporting it.”
Another very successful event prior to the Philanthropy Day that the CAv Traditions set up was the #DoBlue event in January. “We had 100 shirts go in 3 minutes and a line of over 100 students lined up at 5:30 for a 6:00 distribution,” Watson said. “I think anytime you give Cabrini students a free t-shirt they are going to come out.”
People were waiting in a line before the CAv Traditions set up at 10:30 a.m. within the first 15 minutes 200 letters were signed and all 50 shirts were gone.
“The outcome of the day was awesome,” Watson said. “We definitely killed it.”