April 22 marks UCalgary’s annual Giving Day
By Luis Armando Sanchez Diaz, April 21 2021—
On April 22, the University of Calgary will host its annual Giving Day event for the fifth year in a row which is an event for members of the U of C to contribute to the UCalgary community through different ways.
Students, professors, staff and the general public can participate by either donating to the UCalgary fund, write down a note to the class of 2021 or donate to a particular fund — which can range from awards, fellowships, special projects and scholarships and bursaries.
“Your support will make extraordinary things happen — for our students, our researchers and the community at large,” notes their “Find a Fund” website.
The donations that are made on April 22 “will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $2,500 per gift while matching funds last,” as expressed on the event’s page.
Over the past four Giving Days more than $4 million have been collected which have helped to fund and “to create lasting, positive change — on campus, in the community and beyond — by elevating student experiences, advancing research and accelerating innovation,” according to their webpage.
In a statement provided to the Gauntlet, Salman Jivani, director of Annual Giving, mentioned that Giving Day has raised millions of dollars for the campus community and has helped to fund important programs.
“Community is at the heart of UCalgary and Giving Day is no exception. Since its inception in 2017, more than $4 million has been raised by the UCalgary community — students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends — to fund scholarships and bursaries, student experiences, critical research and new programming and initiatives across all faculties, such as the Centre for Wellness, which was established in 2020 for students in need. No matter how you give on April 22, your support helps create lasting, positive change for UCalgary and the community as a whole,” Jivani said.
Last year’s Giving Day alone raised $1.3 million and more than 5,000 hours of volunteering were dedicated — despite being held under the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2020 Giving Day report published a couple of weeks ago. You can read about how those funds helped many members of the U of C community at the various faculties here.
To write down a note to the future graduates, click here. If you want to contribute, visit the UCalgary Fund’s official website to donate or learn about the multiple funds that exist that you can also contribute to by searching on their list.