Willow Path, dressed in lights for the winter season.
As Colgate wrapped up a successful semester of in-person instruction during the pandemic, more than 4,700 alumni, families, friends, and students came together to support the University and its community through the Colgate Together Challenge.
Dec. 11–31, the community set year-end fundraising records by contributing more than $2.9 million to the Colgate Fund. A group of challengers matched each gift, up to $1.3 million, for a challenge total exceeding $4.2 million.
With just a few days left in the challenge, Colgate Fund Executive Chair Paul Carberry ’94 and his wife, Krista, issued a second challenge, offering to make an additional contribution for graduates from the last 10 years who made a gift. This announcement inspired 364 recent alumni to make gifts to Colgate.
Early in the challenge, President Brian W. Casey hosted a Colgate Together Town Hall, during which he shared the achievements and challenges of the fall semester and the many ways that the Colgate Fund was instrumental in the University’s success. He noted that support for the Colgate Fund has enabled Colgate to pursue its mission of in-person instruction while protecting the health and safety of our community. This has required significant investment in everything from classroom technology to COVID-19 test kits.
“The Colgate Fund provides vital resources that touch every aspect of the Colgate experience, and we thank each person who chose to support it,” said Karl Clauss ’90, vice president for advancement. “As we think about the challenges of the coming spring semester and the opportunities that lay in Colgate’s near future, please know that you have made a significant contribution that will make a difference for students and community members. I want to also extend special thanks to all of our challengers and to our volunteers, who played an important role in making this challenge successful. Thank you all for being Colgate Together.”
Colgate Together Challengers:
Scott A. Barshay ’88 & Melissa Barshay ’88
Gretchen H. Burke ’81, P’11,’20 & Stephen B. Burke ’80, H’04, P’11,’20
Bruce W. Calvert ’68
President Brian W. Casey
Christine J. Chao ’86 & James O. Shaver, Jr. ’86
J. Christopher Clifford ’67, H’11 & Keena Clifford P’93
Eric A. Cole ’93 & Ashley Cole P’24
Carmine DiSibio ’85, P’18,’21 & Amy Everett DiSibio ’86, P’18,’21
Julian W. Farrior, III ’93 & Jennifer H. Farrior ’95
Gregory J. Fleming ’85, P’21 & Melissa Shaw Fleming ’85, P’21
Michael J. Herling ’79, P’08,’09,’12 & Nancy Herling ’81, P’08,’09,’12
Kimberly Avison Huffard ’87
Chris Hurley ’81, Becky Bair Hurley ’81, Matt Hurley ’12, and Dan Hurley ’12
Peter L. Kellner ’65 & Maria T. Kellner P’87, GP’16,’19
Nora Gleason Leary ’82 & Robert G. Leary
Judith Little GP ’21
John A. Mazzarino ’74
Michael F. Petersen ’77
Isaac ’68 and Madeline Stein
Andrew W. Sweet ’93 & Alexis Sweet
William T. Winters, Jr. ’83
Two anonymous challengers