SUU's Inaugural Giving Thor's-Day Soars Beyond Expectations
Published: April 01, 2024 | Author: Nikki Koontz | Read Time: 2 minutes
Southern Utah University's first-ever Giving Thor's-Day, themed "The Power Is in Your Hands," proved to be a monumental success, rallying T-Bird Nation to surpass its initial goal of 240 donors, ultimately reaching an impressive 261 donors by the deadline.
Giving Thor's-Day, a day dedicated to unity and generosity, saw an outpouring of support from alumni, friends, students, and parents, demonstrating their commitment to uplifting the future of SUU. The campaign launched at noon on Wednesday, March 27th, and ran for 1,897 minutes, symbolizing the year of SUU's founding.
The event kicked off with a thrilling Thor's Hammer Hunt, where students on campus followed clues on social media and Thunder 91 to uncover Thor’s hidden hammers and a chance to win a $500 scholarship.
The excitement continued the following day with Thor's Hammerfest in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Rotunda, where students met Thor, took pictures with Thor's hammer, and shared on social media the transformative power of their SUU education. Faculty and staff also joined in the fun, competing in the first-ever Sharwan Showdown. Teams of three from 16 areas across campus battled head-to-head to see who could hold Thor's 15 pound hammer the longest, with "The School of Business Big Bad Bruisers" emerging victorious.
Giving Thor's-Day offered various ways for the community to get involved, including the "4 for Thor" donation initiative, where donors contributed in multiples of four to symbolize Thor's lucky number.
Donors had the opportunity to support the following areas:
Alumni Association Scholarship: Funded by alumni for future alumni, these scholarships are awarded to legacy students so they can keep the T-Bird tradition alive in their families.
Athletics: Provides vital support for student-athletes, allowing them to stay on campus over the summer and train year-round.
Hope Pantry: Provides essential food items to students in need and ensures that no student faces hunger.
Learning Abroad Program: Provides funding for students to experience the life-changing opportunity of broadening their horizons across the globe.
Mental Health Resources: Helps students overcome the greatest barrier to achieving their educational goals.
T-Bird Strong Student Emergency Fund: Helps students with immediate needs in the areas of financial assistance, housing support, nutritional support, and technology access.
Thunderbird Marching Band:Enables the marching band to have the resources they need for new instruments and travel so they can continue to play, compete, and cheer at away games.
Undergraduate Research Program:Provides experiences that nurtures future leaders, boosts excellence, sparks ideas, and builds community amongst students.
T-Bird Nation provided overwhelming support and enthusiasm through responding to a variety of challenges and matches during its inaugural Giving Thor's-Day. The generosity displayed will have a lasting impact on SUU and the students it serves.
Tags: Advancement
Contact Information:
Nikki Koontz
435-865-8612
nikkikoontz@suu.edu