Alumni return this weekend to celebrate -- and to donate

Penn's campus will be bustling this weekend with hundreds of alumni coming back to reminisce about their college days.

And while many will return to Locust Walk with open arms, the University hopes they will return with open wallets as well.

The festivities of Alumni Weekend culminate fundraising efforts by the various classes to give back to Penn.

This year, the Class of 2001 voted on Penn InTouch to donate funds to refurbish one of the main staircases in Houston Hall.

While it is doubtful the class will reach its lofty goal of raising $50,000, Assistant Director for Young Alumni and Student Programs Catherine Sullivan said the $19,000 the class has already raised is something to be proud of.

"They're definitely on track and doing a great job," she said.

Last year, the senior class raised over $4',000, a record-breaking figure.

Members of the class solicited through the mail, conducted a door-to-door solicitation, held a phone-a-thon in April and solicited peer-to-peer to raise funds.

"I think it had to do with the weather," Senior Class Gift Committee Co-Chairwoman Rania Margonis said about the slow rate of donations. "People didn't start thinking about graduation until a couple weeks ago."

Since the class is still thousands of dollars from reaching its goal, the committee chose to extend the gift drive deadline, with the drive most likely ending June 30 -- the end of the University's fiscal year.

Other classes have seen more success in raising funds this year than this year's graduates. According to Assistant Vice President for Individual Giving Tom Farrell, seven classes raised over $1 million for their alma mater and four classes have broken previous reunion records.

"We've had a fantastic year," he said.

The Class of 1951 raised over $3 million for an undergraduate scholarship with its name in its 50th reunion year.

And the Class of 1976, celebrating its 25th reunion, raised funds for the Class of 1976 grand staircase, part of the Quad renovation, and an undergraduate scholarship.

Other classes have opted to donate unrestricted funds to the Penn Fund, to be distributed wherever the need is deemed to be the greatest. This year, it is estimated that the combined efforts of the various classes generated several million dollars for the Penn Fund.

Farrell attributed this year's fundraising success to "spectacular" volunteer alumni leadership.

Classes will be donating their gifts to University President Judith Rodin as part of the alumni picnic in Hamilton Village this Saturday.

In addition, the annual alumni weekend will be filled with alumni activities ranging from "Classes Without Quizzes," taught by both Penn professors and alumni, to a Greek Sesquicentennial Gala and Scholarship Auction.

While organizers are excited about this year's festivities -- which thousands are expected to show up for -- they hope the weather will cooperate, as last year's alumni weekend was dampened by rain.

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