Hand-written thank-you notes are not a lost art here on campus.
Students stopped by the fourth annual Thanksgiving in February event Monday and Tuesday to write more than 500 letters of thanks to alumni donors who have contributed to the Notre Dame Annual Fund this year.
"Alumni donations make up a huge part of the financial aid that Notre Dame is able to give out and also help fund many of the activities that go on here," senior Emily Everett, co-chair of the Student Development Committee, said. "We think it's important for the alumni to hear from the students and know that their gift is appreciated."
Sponsored by the Notre Dame Annual Fund and the Student Development Committee, Thanksgiving in February provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the financial contributions alumni donors make, understand how these donations affect life at Notre Dame and personally show gratitude to the University benefactors.
"We have a list of recent donors and we ask that students come in and spend a couple of minutes writing thank-you notes to the alumni who have so generously donated to the Notre Dame Annual Fund in the past year," Everett said. "This is a great opportunity for students to show their appreciation for the benefits that they have received because of the generosity of Notre Dame's alumni donors."
The Notre Dame Annual Fund is a source of expendable financial support that provides not only student financial aid but also meets the growing needs in academic and student life, beyond the earnings from the endowment.
"Many students don't know that tuition only covers half of the cost of their education, and alumni donations make up a huge portion of the difference," Everett said.
Junior Aleksandra Koryzno recognized the importance of keeping in contact with alumni donors, as they contributed to her education and experience at Notre Dame.
"I let them know what I'm doing, I thank them for giving me the opportunity to be here and I inform them what their help is allowing me to do here," she said.
Koryzno has remained in contact with one donor from Ann Arbor, Mich., whom she was able to meet in person at an alumni club picnic.
"He was very appreciative of me thanking him and also that I'm fully utilizing the scholarship that he provides for students like me," Koryzno said.
Most alumni echo the same sentiments of thanks for student recognition of their donations, Everett said.
"Many alumni will send us letters and let us know how much they enjoy talking to our student callers who call them from the phone center, and we know that our letters are also well received," she said. "We encourage students to continue this tradition by participating in Thanksgiving in February in the future."
