Fairfield alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends came together for the 7th annual STAGiving Day on April 22, 2021, to support students' most urgent needs in the areas of: financial aid, scholarship, health and wellness, academic resilience, and spiritual guidance, as well as to provide critical operational support for Fairfield Athletics’ 20 varsity teams.

This year, the Stag community — who were urged to "Be Inspired" by the resilience and strength of our students, faculty, and staff — far surpassed the 1,942-donor goal to unlock $1,000,000 in challenge funds to raise a record of nearly $1,800,000 from 2,400 donors. For Fairfield Athletics alone, more 1,050 donors raised upwards of $793,000: the most dollars raised for student-athletes on STAGiving Day in the history of this annual tradition.

“I cannot express my gratitude enough for the tremendous display of generosity shown by our community on STAGiving Day,” said Wally Halas, vice president for University Advancement. “Every dollar and donor helps to strengthen our University, and I am thankful that so many took the time out of their day to show how much they believe in Fairfield and what we can do for students, communities, and the world.”

In addition to funding student priorities, every alumni gift on STAGiving Day helped boost Fairfield’s alumni participation rate, an important measurement that is factored into the University’s national and regional rankings among higher education institutions in publications like U.S. News and World Report. “It does not matter the size of the gift, every STAGiving Day contribution is making a difference,” Halas added.

The Fairfield Athletics community also showed extraordinary Stag spirit during the annual giving day, setting a record in dollars raised. “This display, especially as we continue to navigate through the pandemic, is a testament not only to the loyalty of Stags fans, but to the heart and passion that our teams and coaches exhibited all year long while training — and during — competitions,” said Nick Wormley, executive director of Athletics Development/senior associate director of Athletics. “The drive shown by our teams to overcome challenges, I believe, energized our community to give at levels we have not seen before, and I can only hope we are able to build off of this momentum.”

Donors on STAGiving Day could also opt-in to receive a Fairfield-branded, six-can Coleman cooler with a gift of $75 or more. “The cooler option was a big hit,” said Geri Derbyshire, associate vice president for University Advancement. “So many opted in to receive a cooler that we had to order more. We hope to have them to all who requested one as quickly as possible so our community can immediately enjoy using them outdoors with the weather getting warmer.”

The community’s participation on STAGiving Day also helped Fairfield students realize the impact of philanthropy and inspired them to give back. On April 22, students on campus visited the Barone Campus Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to learn how contributions from the community on STAGiving Day aid in their academic, social, and recreational enrichment at Fairfield; they showed their thanks by filling in a “1942” appreciation board. In addition, students enjoyed free Italian ice and voted on the Fairfield priority most important to them, in order to unlock $10,000 in challenge funds toward the winning designation: Financial Aid & Scholarship. Check out images from the event.

STAGiving Day was launched in 2015 as an opportunity for the Fairfield community from all over the world to come together for just 24 hours to celebrate and uplift the University by dressing in Fairfield gear or the color red; sharing stories about their favorite Fairfield memories, classmates, professors, and current students; and making gifts to areas that mean the most to them. Supporters select from a variety of designations, including the Fairfield Fund’s Area of Greatest Needs, Financial Aid & Scholarship, Fairfield Athletics, the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, and much more. No matter what area donors decide to support or the size of the gift, every contribution strengthens the institution and inspires Fairfield students, faculty, and staff to persevere, regardless of any difficulties that come their way.

For more information about STAGiving Day or how to support Fairfield University, please call 877-748-5123 or email stagsforstags@fairfield.edu.