Radford University supporters catch "Spring Fever"

Radford University’s first-ever week of giving competition raised nearly $46,000 toward seven different college-specific, high impact projects. The contest, dubbed “Spring Fever,” pitted the six different Radford University colleges – as well as Athletics – against one another to see which project could reach its funding goal first.

The College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences took home that honor, hitting their goal of $7,000 for the Pre-Law Fund, which provides financial assistance to students in need of high-quality LSAT prep materials and courses. This amount includes a dollar-for-dollar matching gift from an anonymous donor.

“Providing funds for four of our students to take LSAT prep classes can be game-changers for them in terms of being admitted to the law school of their choice as well as securing much-needed scholarship funding,” says Kate Hawkins, dean of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. “The investment we make in an LSAT prep class today can pay impressive dividends for the students long into the future.”

Radford University Athletics, whose therapeutic pools for student-athletes project raised just under $20,000, was able to bring in more money than any other project in the competition. Included in the total is funding in the form of bonus gifts from Ann ’63 and Dave Norris, as well as from Mike ’93 and Patti Williams, for reaching specific thresholds in the number of donors and the total amount raised.

The College of Education and Human Development's Wilderness Institute initiative, which will help students attend the Wilderness Institute, a 4-week intensive outdoor training course that creates leaders in the outdoor field, was able to attract the highest number of supporters, 68, while reaching its goal of $7,000.

“As a first-generation college student who would never have been able to afford to go on a trip like this, I am super excited to be able to offer some financial assistance to students,” says Anja Whittington, coordinator for the Wilderness Institute in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism.

The other initiatives participating in the competition included: the College of Business and Economics' Fellows program, which helps aspiring business professionals develop their perspective of global business with meaningful career development travel; the College of Visual and Performing Arts' Community of Artists project, which supports creative workshops, travel opportunities and enhancements to living-learning spaces for first-year student artists; the Waldron College of Health and Human Services' project to send communication science and disorders and occupational therapy students to Belize to serve children; and the Artis College of Science and Technology’s Summer Bridge program, which helps to engage female high school students in the pursuit of scientific study. All told, the seven different projects received over 200 gifts from Radford University alumni, parents, faculty and staff, students and friends alike.

The competition was also the first to utilize Radford University’s new crowdfunding platform, which gave organizers the ability to share updates, recognize donors and track live progress toward goals.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," says Debbie Robinson to all of the Radford University donors. Robinson, who graduated from the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences in the Spring Commencement, received LSAT funding support as a result of the Spring Fever initiative. "Thank you so much – you are making a difference in my life."

May 9, 2017
Jeremy Norman
540-831-5491
jnorman9@radford.edu