The Syracuse University community came together to make Boost the ’Cuse: 44 hours for Syracuse University an outstanding success.
The preliminary #BoostCuse results are in: during 44 legendary hours, 6,210 generous donors gave $2,571,362 to the part of Syracuse University that meant the most to them. Those numbers are rising, as the Boost the ’Cuse team counts additional gifts that were made offline.
Current students and young alumni dominated the graduation year leaderboard. Donors from the classes of 2020, 2023, 2022, 2014 and 2018 held the top five spots for most gifts made. Gifts came from students, alumni, parents, faculty/staff and many others.
“It’s an amazing feeling to know that someone who you’ve never met makes a gift to help enrich the lives of current students,” says Assata Cradle-Morgan ’20, a dual food studies and policy studies major. “It’s heartwarming when someone I don’t know gives back to enable myself and future Syracuse University students to have the chance to further our educations and further our futures.”
The #BoostCuse clock started at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with a goal of inspiring 5,000 donors to support Syracuse University before 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 6. The goal was achieved, then surpassed, with a 23 percent increase in donors over last year and participation from all 50 states and 25 different countries.
Alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, friends and loyal Syracuse fans gave to support their Orange passions. Gifts were designated for everything from scholarships to school and college dean’s funds to units like the Office of Multicultural Advancement, Syracuse University Libraries and Syracuse Athletics. Whether $1 or $10,000, every gift mattered.
A scholarship from the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Los Angeles helped Andrew Regalado ’20 before he even set foot on campus, and a scholarship from the Washington, D.C., Alumni Club provided Regalado financial assistance during his first summer internship in D.C.
“I truly wouldn’t be here at Syracuse University without the generosity of those who give. It’s those benefits and those kind gifts from alumni I’ve never met that have impacted me the most. I’m very thankful to all who gave,” says Regalado, a dual political science and policy studies major and current president of the Forever Orange Student Alumni Council.
On campus, a number of fun activities—a rock climbing competition, a timed Mario Kart video game event and a search for stuffed Ottos—engaged students during the 44 hours. More than 100 basketball fans attended a Boost the ’Cuse tailgate prior to the men’s game against the University of Virginia. And across the country, alumni clubs hosted gatherings to watch the game and celebrate alumni philanthropy.
Final #BoostCuse results and additional details will be shared next week. In the meantime, watch the “Thank You” video and check out the Boost the ’Cuse leaderboards.