While Maine Day looked a little different this year, students welcomed the chance to participate in the annual tradition of beautifying the campus. At Buchanan Alumni House, members of All Maine Women, Senior Skulls, Sophomore Eagles, and Sophomore Owls worked together to add mulch and compost to Buchanan’s gardens.
Besides these efforts by students and others on campus, 1,020 donors representing 72 different UMaine alumni classes raised $810,924 for UMaine students and programs during the annual Maine Day of Giving.
“Maine Day of Giving is an opportunity for all UMaine alumni and friends to participate and celebrate the tradition of service through Maine Day from wherever they happen to be,” said UMaine Foundation President/CEO Jeff Mills ’83. “The gifts that come through that day really represent people’s affinities for the ‘college of our hearts always.’ Each year the program grows and is now a central piece of the Maine Day tradition that people look forward to.”
Highlights included $100,000 from Joe and Sue Cyr of Old Town, which included a $10,000 Maine Day of Giving matching challenge to support the Collins Center for the Arts. The match was met by Collins Center for the Arts loyal donors.
A pledge of $100,000 from an anonymous donor to support UMaine Athletics master plan will be matched through UMS Transforms initiatives of the Harold Alfond Foundation grant.
Additionally, $400,000 to support the Department of Modern Languages and Classics came in from another anonymous donor.
Other Maine Day of Giving campaigns included: All Maine Women who raised funds to support their new saplings, a Class of 1944 WWII Memorial Garden Plaque, UMaine General Scholarship Fund, UMaine Alumni Association, the Schoodic Research Fund, the Student Life Student Emergency Fund, and the Athletics Alfond Fund.