Fisher Giving Day Surpasses Fundraising Goal
It was a record-setting day for philanthropy at St. John Fisher College with the second annual Fisher Giving Day on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
More than 540 donors gave more than $429,000 in support of the annual fund during Fisher Giving Day. The total outpaced the inaugural giving day by nearly $300,000. These funds will support students in need, academic programming, athletics, and ensure that the College can meet unforeseen challenges.
“We are proud of the success of our second Fisher Giving Day, especially in the midst of the pandemic. The response from our alumni, parents, and friends shows a strong commitment to our Fisher family,” said Chris Biehn, vice president for institutional advancement. “It is also important to note that in addition to many talented professionals working day and night on the effort our team of 45 ambassadors helped to spread the word and make it happen for St. John Fisher College! We are deeply grateful to them and everyone who played a part in this special day.”
Fisher Giving Day highlights include the kickoff challenge, with Vic Salerno ’66 donating $75,000 after the first 100 gifts were made, and another $75,000 from Jack ’73 and Donna DePeters with the Over the Top Challenge once the 400-gift mark had been surpassed.
Several donors matched gifts dollar-for-dollar. Bob Moline ’68 made a gift of $30,211 to Fisher athletics to match the $30,211 made by donors, giving athletics a grand total of $60,422 in support of programs. Alumni Marty Keating ’75, Billy O’Grady ’05, and Jon ’84 and Heather ’85 Williams also offered generous matches along with retiree and long-time Fisher supporters Bob and Tarri Heerkens matching faculty and staff gifts.
Donor leaderboards brought out a bit of competition. Softball took the top spot for athletics while Haffey Hall won the residence hall competition, and alumni from the 2000-2009 winning the decades challenge.
Finally, more than 40 Fisher Giving Day ambassadors encouraged participation through social media and personal outreach to share the importance of Fisher philanthropy and their pride for the institution.