'Ospreys Give' 2020 Raises $94,000
From left, ĢƵ President Harvey Kesselman, Chief of Staff Susan Davenport and Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the ĢƵ Foundation Daniel Nugent
Galloway, N.J. – The ĢƵ Foundation’s third Ospreys Give campaign raised just over $94,000 from more than 650 gifts to support ĢƵ students, programs and initiatives.
During the event on Oct. 7 and 8, ĢƵ President Harvey Kesselman and his wife, Lynne, also pledged a gift of $25,000 to create a new endowed scholarship to assist students at the University who are first in their families to attend college.
Both Harvey and Lynne were first-generation college students at ĢƵ. They said they want other such students to know ĢƵ supports them.
“ĢƵ changed our lives,” Harvey Kesselman said. “When I arrived at ĢƵ (in
1971) I was scared and had no idea of what college was about. Since then, ĢƵ
has educated thousands of first generation students. We love you, we value you, and
we have confidence in you.”
With Keeping Students First as this year’s campaign focus, funds were raised for several initiatives and programs that will offer critical support and unique opportunities for ĢƵ’s student body including: the Social Justice and Equity Fund, the Military and Veteran Student Emergency Relief Challenge, the Student Relief Fund, Athletics, Community Engagement and Service Learning, individual academic programs and more.
“We know that many families are struggling, and we greatly appreciate the support of the entire community in helping our students continue on their paths to achieving their college degrees,” said Dan Nugent, chief development officer and executive director of the University Foundation.
Donors had the opportunity to double their gifts through nearly $35,000 in matching funds for a variety of university programs, including matching gifts from alumnus Michael Albrecht ’99 and his wife, Michelle; young alumnus Carl Archut, Jr., ’16; and the family of a World War I veteran who matched donations to the ĢƵ’s Got Your Six emergency relief fund for military and veteran students.
Due to COVID-19, Ospreys Give was held entirely online and offered virtual activities and events for ĢƵ alumni, faculty, students, parents and friends to take part in, including a virtual 5K Fun Run & Walk and “ĢƵ Celebrity Squares”.
More than $5,000 was raised during the ĢƵ Celebrity Squares event, which featured University alumni, friends and student as contestants and “celebrities”, including the Kesselmans, who announced their new commitment during the event.
The $25,000 gift marks the second endowment funded by the Kesselmans. In 2015, they established the Lynne Kesselman and Harvey Kesselman Endowed Scholarship Fund with a $25,000 gift, and in 2018 they doubled that fund to $50,000.
More than half of the student population at ĢƵ is first generation. In support of these students, the First Ospreys program at ĢƵ offers various resources to help them succeed. A week devoted to highlighting these students and the program will begin Nov. 9.
# # #
Contact:
Diane D’Amico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
پԱ.’AǰٴdzٴDz.
609-652-4593
609-412-8069
