Join us in celebrating the most successful Giving Day on record. The donor goal of 2,023 was exceeded with the second-highest total in eight years of Giving Days - 2,636 donors and counting. More than $900,000 was raised yesterday, thanks to the many alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends who donated. This morning, another $100,000 came in, putting the amount over $1 million for the first time in history.
The day began with Mike Madden, ‘71 and Dan McNeil, ‘77 challenging one another to each make $100,000 Giving Day gifts with an unprecedented challenge to all 32,000 Le Moyne alumni: “Match our combined $200,000 gifts.”
The Dolphin Athletic Association (DAA) also broke numbers, with 1,332 donors and over $200,000 raised in support of student athletes. Thank you to the athletic staff, coaches, DAA board members, student athletes and many parents who worked so diligently in support of the teams and athletic program. Not to be overshadowed, Beth Scanlon '78 led the Phins Share Meals program to a record 390 Le Moyne students who donated meal swipes to those students that need them most.
Once again, the College's trustee, regents and alumni boards, the eight Madden School advisory boards, the McNeil advisory board, and leadership team demonstrated the depth of their commitment to furthering Le Moyne's mission through their amazing challenges, generosity and leadership.
The most exciting news occurred late in the evening when two prominent Dolphins announced $1 million gifts to support the College. Inspired by Giving Day 2023 and building upon the momentum created by the October 2022 grand opening of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Creativity, Tim and Kate Keenan, ‘81 have infused an additional $1 million to accelerate the center’s impact on the Le Moyne community and the Central New York economy.
In honor of their parents, Professor Charles and Rita McCain, Chuck '76 and Pam McCain, with the support of Lee ’78, Mary Kay ’79 and Pat ’85, made a $1 million gift to name the physics labs, support the McCain Scholarship and for general use. Professor McCain taught at the College for more than three decades, serving as chair of the physics department for much of that time, and his wife of nearly 61 years, Rita, worked as Le Moyne's registrar and later as the first dean of women.
Special thanks to Dr. LeMura for her energetic advocacy and leadership (watch her thank you message here), as well as members of the Advancement and Innovation team (listed below) and the Office of Marketing and Communications who worked tirelessly to make sure the day was a rousing success.