While Ferro Alumni Center typically spends its spring months focused on travel, scholarships, special events, and the June Match Challenge, this time around, some things just couldn’t wait.
By Katie O’Donnell
UMF Crisis Fund
When UMF transitioned to remote learning in March, it became immediately apparent that many of our students were vulnerable: some lost jobs and had financial commitments, like rent and other household bills, they could not meet. Some returned home with very little private space, no high-speed internet, or time to study due to their home and family obligations, and some began to struggle to provide themselves with basic necessities. In response to the growing inequities that resulted, we created the UMF Crisis Fund. In four short weeks, during the peak of the pandemic in the spring, the UMF community together raised $14,465. These monies — paired with other scholarships and funds — as well as campus support, directly helped over 75 students who requested assistance.
As one student said, “Thank you so much. This money is such a blessing and I cannot express how much this will make an impact.” Another wrote, “This will help my situation more than you know.”
We will never forget how our community stepped up and helped carry our students across the finish line in the spring of 2020.
The Tabor Hammond ’10 Memorial Rugby Score Board
When the UMF men’s rugby coach Tony Solis ’07 and rugby alum Travis Rowell ’08 reached out to our office about the passing of Tabor Hammond ’10, we knew immediately we would do anything to support them. Tabor, living in Malta at the time working to fit patients with prosthetics, died unexpectedly at the age of 33 of coronary thrombosis. UMF rugby players, new and old, agreed that a scoreboard in Tabor’s name would be the best way to honor him. The rugby community, including friends and family of Tabor, raised 105% above their goal within just ten hours; the fastest campaign in recent University history.
Third-Annual June Match Challenge
For the third consecutive year, the Ferro Alumni Center launched its June Match Giving Challenge. Thanks to a very generous gift from an anonymous donor, this year’s Challenge was able to offer Gift Matching for each donation of $25 up to $1,000 made in the month of June. This donor also added an opportunity for UMF to earn an additional $10,000 if we received donations from 250 individuals. As a bonus incentive, Greg Gravel ‘67 set a challenge to recent graduates: if they made a gift of just $5, he would personally bump it up to $25 so that it would be eligible for matching. Collectively, we raised over $40,000, leaving no matching money behind.
We’re Better Together
In whichever way you chose to support UMF this spring – with your time, dollars, or staying connected – we could not be more appreciative of our alumni and community. These recent months have made it all the more clear how fortunate we are to have one another.
If you’d like to make a gift to any area of the University, click here.