"SaintsGiving Tuesday" Scheduled for McMillan Hall on Dec. 2

As a way to celebrate generosity and to encourage giving, Limestone College has designated December 2 as “SaintsGiving Tuesday.”

Limestone is in the midst of the largest capital campaign in its history, “Today’s Needs … Tomorrow’s Dreams,” and the activities on December 2 are aimed at supporting the College’s efforts to get closer to its $12 million goal.

“SaintsGiving Tuesday” will be headquartered from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at McMillan Hall on the main Limestone campus in Gaffney. There will be Limestone-themed prizes given away to the first overall donor, as well as the first faculty, student, alumni, and business donors. Door prizes will also be given away throughout the day. There will be a coffee station and snacks available for visitors coming in to make their donations and pledges. Visitors will receive for free, while they last, reusable Limestone College coffee cups. There will also be a phone-bank located in the building, with students calling on prospective donors throughout the day.

Radio station WZZQ 104.3 FM will also be doing a live remote from McMillan Hall from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Representatives from several of the College’s organizations will take part in the remote to talk about ways that Limestone gives back to the local community.

The official website of the event is www.limestone.edu/saintsgiving.

“Our goal is to not only raise funds, but to engage our campus and the community about the importance of giving back,” said Kelly Curtis, Limestone’s Vice For Institutional Advancement, and Director of the Capital Campaign. “We already have the Thanksgiving holiday as a day to give thanks. And we have Black Friday and Cyber Monday where people can get great deals on Christmas gifts. With ‘SaintsGiving Tuesday,’ we are establishing an annual event that celebrates generosity and provides a day to support Limestone College.”

“SaintsGiving Tuesday” is being held in conjunction with the global “GivingTuesday” movement that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. “GivingTuesday” has created a national day of giving to kick-off the giving season. It was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season.

“Our fun-filled event fits in perfectly with ‘GivingTuesday’ that was started a couple of years ago,” Curtis explained. “We see this as an opportunity to channel the generous spirit of the holiday season to inspire action around charitable giving. Limestone College does so many good things for its students and the community and we are excited about attracting donors on December 2 who can help us reach even greater heights. But even if people don’t give to us, we hope they will show their philanthropy in some way on that day.”

Research indicates that non-profits that participated in “GivingTuesday” last year grew their overall fundraising by 6.8 percent over the previous year. Also, online giving for those groups increased by 19.4 percent.

During “SaintsGiving Tuesday,” donors will have an opportunity to give to the capital campaign, the “Knowledge Is Power” Library Challenge, buy a brick as part of the “Pave The Way” initiative, or make any other form of contribution to Limestone.

The “Today’s Needs…Tomorrow’s Dreams” capital campaign seeks to raise a total of $12 million, including $6 million for a new library, $4.8 million for athletics improvements, and $1.2 million for the “Limestone Fund.” To date, nearly $9 million has been pledged to the capital campaign.

On behalf of the Betsy M. Campbell Foundation, a week prior to the spring Trustee meetings, Limestone Trustee William Brown issued a challenge to the school to raise $2 million by December 31, 2014, in order to receive an additional $1 million contribution for the library. Limestone officials tabbed the fund-raising effort as the “Knowledge Is Power” Challenge. Limestone is currently just under $300,000 away from meeting that challenge.

Limestone’s “Pave The Way” brick initiative, as part of the fund-raising effort to meet the library challenge, is selling individual engraved bricks. Students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, and friends of Limestone College can purchase personalized bricks that will pave the entranceway into the library.

Playing to Limestone’s history and founding year, the individual bricks are $118.45 each, and available for a limited time only.

All donations to Limestone College are tax deductible. To make a gift to the “Knowledge Is Power” Challenge, or to buy a “Pave The Way” brick, visit www.Limestone.edu/giving. For more information on naming rights opportunities or other aspects of the library challenge, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (864) 488-4602.