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IMPACT
Two people standing outside; one in a maroon Charleston t-shirt, the other in a red coat and hat with a yellow scarf.
L-R: Ian Bock with Dean Arias Sandiego.

Game On

Featuring a retro gaming theme, CofC Day pushed all the right buttons.
The sixth annual CofC Day, themed Level Up Your Impact, ran from 4:30 p.m. on March 19 to 10 p.m. on March 20. Alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends came together to support the College with 1,524 donors giving $710,533.

Donor challenges incentivized giving by unlocking gifts.

  • Mark Buono ’81 and Judy Buono ’22 (M.Ed.) gave a $50,000 gift at the 1,000-donor milestone.
  • The Zucker Family Challenge awarded $100,000 when the number of donors reached 1,500.
  • Laurie Minges ’83, president of the Alumni Association, supported the Alumni Greek Life Scholarship with a matching gift once donations reached $5,000.
  • Edward Tuccio ’91 provided a match and a challenge for alumni who graduated within the last 10 years: $5,000 matched the donor’s designation, and $10,000 was unlocked when 150 recent graduates made a gift.
  • Johnnie ’92 and Michelle Baxley’s matching gift of $2,500 to encourage faculty and staff giving was met within 30 minutes.
  • In honor of the decade Johnnie graduated, the Baxleys supported the ’90s Happy Hour Power Hour with a gift of $3,000 when 100 ’90s alumni donated.

The Baxleys also supported the inaugural student scavenger hunt for 10 plush Clyde the Cougar toys. Students who found a hidden Clyde could direct $250 to the area of their choice.

Justin McLain ’98 funded a friendly competition among schools and units for the second year with the winning teams receiving gifts to their excellence funds for outstanding CofC Day results. The School of the Arts received $30,000 for the largest number of donors and most dollars raised: 189 and $65,235, respectively. The School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs received $15,000 for the highest percentage of alumni participation: 3.28%. CofC Libraries received honorable mention and was awarded $5,000.

This year, schools and units enlisted creative ways to engage their donors. Playing on the “Level Up Your Impact“ theme, LCWA tapped as its spokeswoman the globetrotting criminal mastermind from the popular 1990s video game Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Megan Oldak, LCWA communication and marketing coordinator, created the social media game “Where in the World is Dean Arias Sandiego?” The students who found Dean Aimee Arias, who was dressed like Carmen Sandiego, won CofC swag.

“It really was a team effort,” says Oldak, noting that LCWA increased its donors by 12% and grew its social media followers. “It was nice to see how many people were willing to join in on the fun. We’re excited about the next CofC Day.”

“CofC Day continues to serve as a fun way to engage with the College and give back,” says Dan Frezza, chief advancement officer. “We are so grateful for the philanthropic spirit of our alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends. Our day of giving makes it possible for the College to continue to provide students with an excellent liberal arts and sciences education.”

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