CEDAR RAPIDS — The fourth annual Coe College Day of Giving is calling all Kohawks to unite in support of their alma mater this Thursday.
The day will be a “celebration of all things Coe,” and include the opportunity for students, alumni and friends to share memories, show their Kohawk pride, and contribute to the college, said Rod Pritchard, secretary of Coe College.
The event is primarily conducted through social media and the day of giving will be highlighted by alumni re-engaging with the college or coming back to campus. Throughout the day, alumni, students and friends will share videos and comments. Those posting comments, photos or videos are asked to use the #KohawkDay hashtag.
There also will be activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Gage Memorial Union for students and alumni, said Mary Springer, director of the Coe Fund. The city celebration will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Parlor City.
There have been “generous contributions” from many “challenge leaders” — board of trustees and alumni members — in advance of the fundraising event, and other gifts made to the college on Thursday April 12 will be matched by those challenge leaders.
The Coe Fund supports academic programs and technological improvements, and provides scholarships and more within the year, Pritchard said. All gifts to the Coe Fund benefit every student on campus.
In 2005, the college renamed its annual giving program the Coe Fund, according the Coe website. These are annual gifts spent within one fiscal year. The gifts to the annual fund are unrestricted and can be used where the need is greatest. In the past, these funds have been used for financial aid, library resources and student-faculty research.
Last year, more than $200,000 was raised through this event, according to Coe officials. The 2017 Day of Giving was successful not only in terms of the financial support for the college, but also in overall participation. Coe had more than 100 first-time donors during the event, while the number of young alumni contributors grew by nearly 20 percent.
Alumni and friends of the college also engaged in social media during the day, with nearly 18,000 post views. There were Kohawks from 48 states that participated last year and the members contributing most were from the classes of 2013, 2016 and 2017.
The celebration gives more than 5,000 Coe alumni living in Eastern Iowa the opportunity to connect with fellow alumni and “proudly wear their crimson and gold,” Pritchard said.
“The Day of Giving is a fun and creative way for our community to celebrate and expand the impact that gifts have on the lives of our students,” David Hayes, vice president for advancement, said in a statement. “We are grateful for the enthusiastic Kohawk spirit and generous support Coe receives from alumni and friends on this special day.”
Pritchard said Coe, established in 1851, has been the fastest-growing college in the state since 2013. The current student population is 1,400, with 1,348 full-time students. The college had 446 new full-time students this past fall, which was the largest incoming class in its history, he said.
For more information about the event, go to www.alumni.coe.edu/KohawkDay or contact Mary Springer, director of the Coe Fund, at mspringer@coe.edu or (319) 399-8569.
l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com