VCU news

By Catherine Brown
Office of Development and Alumni Relations

On April 24, the Virginia Commonwealth University family will come together to support VCU’s students, faculty, staff, patients and community. With game-changing matches and challenges, the third annual VCU Giving Day enables donors to boost the value of their gifts and amplify their support for the causes they care about most.

“On Giving Day, we celebrate all the ways that VCU lifts people’s lives here and around the world,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “We invite alumni, faculty, staff, students, family and friends to join together to make possible the many initiatives at VCU and VCU Health that support our students, our patients and our communities here and beyond.”

New this year, a Giving Day celebration will be held in Monroe Park. The Giving Games, hosted on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., provide opportunities for participants to engage in fun activities, such as life-size Hungry Hungry Hippos or mechanical bull riding.

The first time a person participates in an activity, a $5 gift will be made in their name to one of five causes: Ram Pantry, which provides food and other necessities to students in need; Rams in Recovery, which offers support, programming and scholarships for students recovering from substance use disorders; Student Life and Learning, which enables students to participate in internships, field research and other experiential learning opportunities; the Open and Affordable Course Content Initiative, which alleviates the high costs of course materials; or Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Giving Day takes place during VCU’s Philanthropy Week, when students celebrate the many donors who support student scholarships, life-changing research and health care, classroom and lab spaces, art-making and athletic equipment, and more. Events throughout the week on the Monroe Park Campus provide opportunities for students to thank donors for enhancing their college experience.

“VCU donors on Giving Day and every day play a pivotal role in advancing our research, health care and student support,” Rao said. “We are grateful for their unequaled generosity.”

Each issue of the VCU News newsletter includes a roundup of top headlines from the university’s central news source and a listing of highlighted upcoming events. The newsletter is distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. To subscribe, visit newsletter.vcu.edu/. All VCU and VCU Health email account holders are automatically subscribed to the newsletter.