UK Community to Observe Thank-A-Donor Day Sept. 28 in Recognition of Charitable Support

of

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2016)  University of Kentucky students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to express their appreciation to the nearly 49,000 donors who made 96,694 gifts to UK last year during the Office of Philanthropy’s annual Thank-A-Donor Day, Wednesday, Sept. 28.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the area between the White Hall Classroom Building and the Ralph G. Anderson Building, the university community will be invited to sign a large, mounted banner thanking donors for their generous support. Students, in particular, will be asked to write a personal thank you note on the banner or make a short video recording their gratitude, said Anne Lichtenberg, director of annual giving.

Days following the event, photos of Thank-A-Donor Day will be posted on the Office of Philanthropy’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/UKOfficeOfPhilanthropy/) and Twitter (@UK_Philanthropy) platforms, said Lichtenberg. The signed banner will be hung across the front exterior of the William B. Sturgill Philanthropy Building during Homecoming week. And the thank-you video will be shared with UK’s donors during the Thanksgiving season.  

“What impresses me most is the wide range of donors who support the University of Kentucky,” Lichtenberg said. “Last year, donors in all 50 states and from 25 countries directed their philanthropic gifts to areas across the university, including scholarships and professorships, building construction and renovations, research opportunities for students and faculty, and patient-centered health care.”

Vice President for Philanthropy Mike Richey concurred on the recognition day’s importance.

“UK’s donors play an integral part as they affirm the aspirations of our students and faculty and support the ongoing mission of education, research, health care and service,” Richey said. “Philanthropy represents the best of humankind. It promotes the welfare of others while encouraging people to give generously and selflessly to worthy organizations and causes such as UK. Thank-A-Donor Day is a meaningful way for the UK community to demonstrate its appreciation to the 48,638 donors who immeasurably advance this university.”

Last year, hundreds of students and members of the UK community filled every spot of the banner with expressions of gratitude. Among last year’s messages were:

  • “Thanks for making UK amazing!”
  • “You are a hero to us! Thank you!”
  • “Thanks for making our dreams come true!”
  • “Thank you! You helped make this possible for us!”

“Because of UK’s donors, students have been provided support through scholarships and much improved educational facilities,” said Rowan Reid, president of the Student Government Association. “On this special day of the academic year, Thank-A-Donor Day stands as a reminder to all students that we are the beneficiaries of these philanthropists’ goodness and their belief in us and our academic success.”

In case of rain, the Thank-A-Donor Day banner signing will be moved inside to the White Hall Classroom Building lobby.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Marc C. Whitt, director of philanthropy communications, 859-257-7825 or marc.whitt@uky.edu