Seniors Break Class Giving Record

Class of 2009 has highest participation rate for donating toward senior gift

April 22, 2009 - Phillips Academy is pleased to announce that the Class of 2009 has set a new class giving record, with 92 percent of the senior class donating to the senior class gift. The competition, which aimed to beat the previous participation record of 85 percent set by the Class of 2005, focused on participation versus dollars raised. The class will dedicate the money raised to the newly renovated Paresky Commons for which funding is still needed.

To view a video of Paresky Opening Day, click here.

“The Class of 2009 is an inspiration for the classes graduating behind them and for our alumni,” said Diane Glynn, assistant director of annual giving. “They have just demonstrated to all our alumni that every gift matters, no matter the size.”

By organizing the 324 students into six teams, each represented by a color and two captains, members of the STARs club (Student Alumni Representatives) drummed up a spirited interclass competition. The entire student body tracked the senior teams’ rivalry online through a depiction of the Academy’s mascot, Gunga the gorilla, climbing higher and higher up the campus’s Memorial Bell Tower as the participation rate rose. To view the Gunga fund-raising page, click here.

“I think the team-like atmosphere of the senior gift really had people excited about donating,” said Anabel Bacon ’09, cocaptain of the green team. “I noticed that seniors love doing stuff as a class, since we don’t have that much time left together. It was a great bonding experience.”

Donating the funds raised to Paresky Commons has earned the seniors a place in history. Their class will be acknowledged on a special plaque inside the building—an honor that Malin Adams ’09, school president and cocaptain of the pink team, thinks is a fitting tribute to a group known for its tremendous school pride.

“The spirit of the senior class can be measured by our record-breaking participation toward the senior gift,” he said. “We’re donating to Paresky because it’s a building that we’ll consider ‘home’ long after we graduate from Andover. Our class has a lot of pride, and we hope the rest of the school is as passionate about their time at Andover as we have been.”