Loyola’s Advancement Team held the second annual #CUBGIVE Challenge in recognition of the #GivingTuesday campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 28,. The challenge more than doubled its goal of raising $50,000 with over $100,000 which will go to support two new student scholarships.
Loyola’s goal of reaching $50,000 was not only raised through donations on its website but also through a raffle held on campus on Nov. 28.
Students purchased raffle tickets for a chance to win a reserved parking spot or a front of the line pass and free lunch from Z’s for the rest of the year. Students could also win a $500 Loyola Nike apparel package for the rest of the year. Loyola ended up raising over $3,000 from over 200 students and 45 faculty members through this event.
Loyola helped kick off the giving season by providing two scholarships to two new incoming Cubs. Lela Diaz, executive director of Advancement at Loyola High School, said #GivingTuesday helps, “bring recognition to philanthropy” and during the holiday season, “reminds people to give back to institutions and organizations that they care about.”
#GivingTuesday was started six years ago and the organization works throughout the year to bring communities together through gifts and acts of kindness and it all culminated on Tuesday, Nov. 28. #GivingTuesday uses the power of social media, collaboration, and service by people around the world to bring change to their communities.
Nonprofits, businesses, families and single individuals are all involved. This year alone, #GivingTuesday has contributed over 1,640,000 gifts and $177,000,000 online. It is also present in 98 countries.
According to Diaz the heart of Jesuit philosophy is philanthropy and that the #CUBGIVE Challenge helps make it easy for everyone to participate in philanthropy. By hosting the #CUBGIVE Challenge, Loyola is fully supporting #GivingTuesday’s cause of connecting diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving by providing two scholarships to two new soon to be Cubs.
Last year’s #CUBGIVE Challenge focused on feeding those in needs by making and packing over 500 sandwiches and raising over $25,000.
Principal Frank Kozakowski said, “This Cub Challenge was specifically targeted towards merit scholarships; scholarships that acknowledge and award academic excellence.”