Gioia Guarino ’23

Features Section Editor

Last Tuesday, Feb. 14, was not only the day of love but the day of giving. Holy Cross’s 8th annual Giving Day, supporting ‘The Power of Purple!’ was celebrated with a series of events and opportunities to give back to the Crusader community. A day to truly show support for current and prospective students, the events united the college community through a common goal of generosity. 

My day started early, filled with love, as I descended the stairs of my building and was greeted by Dunkin’ donuts and steaming coffee! With QR codes to donate placed upon the purple tablecloth, the treats effectively gained students’ generosity from my dorm. I grabbed my chocolate munchkins and hot cup of coffee and was ready to tackle my long day ahead after giving back to my college! 

The celebratory events were scattered throughout the campus buildings from morning to afternoon, with decorated tables representing purple pride. All day, from 11 am – 2 pm, students could donate and show their appreciation at Hogan, Upper Kimball, and the Science Cafe, the main hotspots on campus! The perfect place to attract a crowd of students between class breaks and coffee dates. 

Also in, Hogan was an ideal setup for pictures with friends and to represent Holy Cross with a photo shoot opportunity. From 10 am – 3 pm, students could pose with friends and Holy Cross decor to showcase their purple pride. 

Kimball offered a bouncy house to unleash your inner child as students enjoyed their lunches! The fun activity was available for a few hours during lunchtime, from 11 am – 2 pm! The fun was accompanied by chicken parm, a Holy Cross classic, and many students’ favorite meal!

Finally, to end the night for those 21+, the Giving Day team offered a fun Happy Hour, a perfect opportunity for the upper-level students to bond during, for most, their final semesters! Pub night is a favorite among the senior class, and last Tuesday was no exception! The celebration occurred from 9 pm – 11 pm and offered free food and refreshments to buy! Those in attendance needed a state ID to enjoy the refreshments and fun! While students sipped and enjoyed the night, they also had a chance to win giveaway prizes in honor of the annual giving day.

For every 1,000 donors, current and former Trustees agreed to donate 100,000 dollars – up to 400,000, an admirable act of generosity! In total, we ended up with 4,607 donors! What a fantastic turnout and a great day of donations!

While the Giving Day donation page closed last week, donations are still accepted anytime by visiting https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/2662/donations/new?a=1a.