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* Isabel Miller (my niece) in the Daily Egyptian a few days ago…
At Southern, beer isn’t just for drinking.
The ‘BEER,’ or the Balancing Education, Experience and Reality Scholarship is a product of a 1980’s to 1990’s SIU alumni Facebook group wanting to give back to their university.
The group, created by Craig Wilson, has 13,917 members on Facebook. Wilson created the group to research a book project and connect old friends. […]
The organizers hope to fundraise for the scholarship with a big push on the Day of Giving, an annual fundraising campaign held by the university.
That group really took off.
* And the campus’ Day of Giving was better than ever this year…
Twenty-four hours after SIU Carbondale’s third annual SIU Day of Giving, university employees were still counting up donations for the final tally.
Once all the gifts are counted, administrators expect to report over $875,000 contributed to the school by over 2,400 donors from 45 states and 10 countries, making this SIU’s biggest Day of Giving yet.
Events like SIUC’s one-day fundraising bonanza are common at universities around the country, as they seek to entice families and alumni to support their schools, just before tax time. Among Salukis, the growth in the event has been dramatic.
In 2017, the first SIU Day of Giving raised $341,000. In 2018, that jumped to nearly $480,000. This year nearly doubles that.
And the BEER scholarship?…
With about $36,000 in donations from over 800 individual donors, the BEER scholarship will become an endowed scholarship, to be awarded every year by the university, in perpetuity. The group will be recognized with a trophy from SIUC, Goldsmith said.
Man, that’s cool. It’s good to see a bit of alumni spirit back at SIUC. Let’s hope it continues to grow because that campus really needs it.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:19 pm
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Amen.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:24 pm
That’s great. It’s always nice to see folks paying it forward.
Comment by Chicago_Downstater Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:29 pm
If the universities get out of the way, perhaps the students (past and present) might just save higher ed in Illinois.
Not a single robocall or professional fundraiser and an alumni group with no official connection to the school spurs nearly 1,000 people to donate (many for the first time) and raises around $36,000 in 24 hours.
There are probably some lessons to be learned in all of that.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:41 pm
“BEER Scholarships” is great marketing.
“Defeat the Millionaires’ Tax,” not so much.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:41 pm
BTW, SIUC just announced a new nursing program. Very good stuff. Great finish to some work I believe started by chancellor C.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:47 pm
A moment of pride of a great University.
Comment by Saluki Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 1:47 pm
I’m proud to be a SIU alumn and member of the mentioned FB group. There is so much pride there and so many people willing to be ambassadors for our beloved university.
Comment by Saluki Proud Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 2:16 pm
Love Isabels article and what the alumni are doing.
Comment by Isabels Grandmother Friday, Mar 8, 19 @ 3:11 pm