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This year, members of the �Ը������� University community came together to support more than 50 funds, demonstrating how donors can fuel progress in the areas that matter most to them. From Nov. 1 through Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2), the 2025 campaign raised more than $4.5 million for causes ranging from food sustainability and the environment to athletics and basic needs to education. The total raised included $2.87 million from legacy gifts and endowments, $150,000 from the �Ը������� University Foundation matching gifts and $1.56 million from outright gifts and matches.

Throughout November, alumni, friends, faculty and staff were encouraged to find the cause that speaks to them and share their reason for giving. These gifts went even further throughout the month with matching gifts for each individual fund made possible through donor support, as well as incentives provided through the support of the �Ը������� University Foundation and the university’s generous volunteer board members. The �Ը������� University Foundation and volunteer boards contributed a combined $210,000 in matching funds this year.

“Our �Ը������� family always shows up in such a tremendous way, and every year we are overwhelmed by the generosity of this community,” said Valoree Vargo, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement at �Ը������� and CEO of the �Ը������� University Foundation. “Whether they support student scholarships, specific programs, basic needs or education abroad, the power of that collective impact is truly transformational. We are so grateful to each person who chooses to contribute and make a difference.”

Two funds that exemplified the spirit of giving this Giving Tuesday were the CARES Basic Needs Student Fund and the Flashes Fighting Hunger Support Fund. These initiatives help provide essential resources, including food, housing, financial assistance and mental health services, and address food insecurity among students and the local community. Combined, these funds raised $31,000 to support the basic needs of the �Ը������� community.

Another highlight was the Dean Kahler Student Engagement and Outreach Internship Fund, which raised more than $13,000 to support internships at the May 4 Visitors Center. Kahler, ’77, a founder of the May 4 Task Force and one of the nine students wounded on May 4, 1970, has worked to keep the story of May 4 alive for future generations of students through education and programming. Student interns are trained to teach visitors the four tenets championed by Dean Kahler, which include promoting peace, active participation in democracy, learning from history and reconciliation. They encourage visitors to reflect on Kahler’s principles and apply them to their own lives.

“Thank you for giving, because every dollar really does make a difference,” said Ivory Kendrick, a senior majoring in public health. “Because of scholarship support, I was able to go above and beyond at �Ը�������, becoming the best I can be. The experiences and leadership skills I’ve gained and the support I’ve received are proof that good things happen through others.”

During Donor/Dollar Challenge Week from Nov. 18-25, the Wrestling Excellence Fund took home the top prize for both dollars and donors, receiving a combined $5,000 in prizes. The second- and third-place winners in both categories were awarded an additional $1,000 and $500, respectively. The Soccer Enhancement Fund finished in second place in donors and third place in dollars. The Wick Poetry Poets for Science initiative received the second-place prize in dollars, and the Dean Kahler Student Engagement and Outreach Internship Fund finished in third place in donors.

Popular incentives added to the excitement of the campaign. On Triple Your Gift Tuesday, Nov. 4, donations were matched up to $500 until the funds ran out. In addition, participation boosts of $500 were awarded throughout the month to featured funds for every 25 unique donors who gave $25 or more to that fund. The campaign culminated in the one-to-one Giving Tuesday match on Dec. 2, when gifts to any �Ը������� University Foundation fund up to $1,000 were matched until the matching funds were exhausted.

As Giving Tuesday 2025 comes to a close, �Ը������� students have a special message of thanks for Golden Flashes available at www.kent.edu/givingtuesday.

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Photo Caption:
�Ը������� University students distribute  food as part of Flashes Fighting Hunger.

Media Contact:
Leigh Greenfelder, lgreenfe@kent.edu, 330-672-7108