Flagler Giving Day launching March 13

SAINT AUGUSTINE –  Flagler College will launch its annual Giving Day fundraiser Wednesday, March 13, for student scholarships. New this year in honor of the college’s 50^th anniversary is a 50 Hour Giving Challenge in which the college has been tasked by an anonymous donor to gain a total of at least 500 donors in 50 hours. If the college can complete the challenge, it will receive an additional $25,000 grant. The challenge will run from March 13 at 8 a.m. through March 15 at 10 a.m.

“Giving Day 2018 was a major success, so we were excited to accept this special challenge in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Flagler College,” said Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, Kristy Myers. “The funds raised will allow us to recruit the best and brightest students and offer them academic programming and special out-of-the-classroom experiences that will set them apart and make them competitive for positions in their career field upon graduation.”

Last year the goal was to raise 200 donors in 24 hours in order to receive a $10,000 challenge grant from a generous donor. The final dollars raised far exceeded the initial goal with a total of $56,907 from a record-breaking 397 donors.

With a greater window of time for the challenge this year, the dates were moved from May, during Alumni Weekend and summer break, to March. This will allow students to participate and keep the momentum going over the entire fifty hours. The idea seems to be working, as there are already 280 student social media ambassadors signed up to help spread the word before and during the challenge.

Included in that count are student-athletes who are competing with each other for a sub-challenge presented by Thompson-Baker Agency: to raise the most funds earmarked for their Saints team sport. To make the competition fair, the winners will be determined based on average funds raised per team member. All funds from the sub-challenge go towards athletic scholarships, team equipment and travel expenses.

The 50 Hour Giving Challenge will launch online at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13 and close at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 15. Visit giving.flagler.edu during the 50 hours to see how the various athletic teams, scholarship funds and programs at Flagler College are progressing towards the goal of 500 donors. Flagler College also invites you as a friend of Flagler to make any size contribution, large or small, as it will all count towards the overall goal of 500 donors to unlock the additional $25,000.