On Sept. 16, 2020, the Park community came together to support the Park Scholarships program during NC State Day of Giving: Stronger as a Pack. In 24 hours, Park Scholarships received 412 gifts totaling $436,818. The funds have immediately gone to work supporting scholarships, diversity and inclusion work, and enrichment.
The record amount topped the program’s previous Day of Giving total by more than $100,000. With gifts from students, alumni, parents, volunteers, staff, and faculty, the day represented a community effort to make a long-lasting impact. Donors from 22 states and Washington, D.C. got involved and all 25 Park classes were represented.
The day’s largest gift came from a Park alumni couple, Kim Bloomfield ’02 and Ricky Bloomfield ’02, who seized the exciting opportunity of NC State Day of Giving to commit the eighth co-named Park Scholarship. This marked the third time Park alumni have established a co-named Park Scholarship and the second such scholarship established on NC State Day of Giving.
The One Park One Pack: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund — launched on NC State Day of Giving — received $83,563. Combined with a $50,000 current-use gift from a Park Scholarships family, the program has now raised over $133,000 dedicated to expanding essential diversity, equity, and inclusion programming for students and the greater Park community.
Gifts of all amounts helped Park Scholarships unlock over $33,000 in challenge and bonus funds. More than 150 gifts during the Most Young Alumni Gifts Challenge hour garnered a $2,000 bonus from the university, while a video featuring Greg Mulholland ’07 with a Krispy Kreme Challenge-themed take on Coach Valvano’s “don’t give up” speech earned $2,000 in social media challenge funds. Park Scholarships came in second place in our division, just behind the NC State Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship, and secured a $4,193 bonus as a result.
By tweeting photos and participating in events organized by the student-led Park Philanthropy Council (PPC), our community unlocked a portion of $20,000 in challenge funds offered by a Park family to support diversity and inclusion work within the program, as well as $400 from NC State for simply tagging Park Scholarships on Twitter or Instagram. PPC events that would typically take place on campus moved online and the venue adjustment allowed Park alumni around the country to connect with current students over meal times and during a trivia night.
The Class of 2019 had a special series of opportunities to unlock a challenge gift sponsored by an anonymous Park donor, and they hit every threshold. Half of the alumni from the Class of 2019 participated in Day of Giving and together they made over 140 gifts, an inspiring effort that resulted in a $5,000 bonus for the Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment.
The generosity demonstrated by Park Scholarships donors on this day was particularly meaningful during the pandemic. Whether a Park Scholar freshman or a seasoned Selection Committee volunteer, a Park Faculty Scholar or a Park parent, in coming together on Day of Giving, the Park community demonstrated the extraordinary strength of the Pack and a shared commitment to the mission of Park Scholarships. The collective impact of this day will resonate for years to come as Park Scholars continue to make ongoing contributions to the state, nation, and world.