While students are back on campus and adjusting to new schedules, some are taking the time to thank those who make it possible for them to be there. Students can send their appreciation to donors who helped provide scholarships during Thank a Donor Days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 4 and 5 on the Memorial Student Center Plaza.

“It’s an opportunity, a one-stop shop for students to drop by and learn about who their donor is that provided their scholarship,” said Krystle Davis, program director of scholarships and donor relations. “We provide thank you cards for them to fill out and then we take those thank you cards and send on to the donors for them. This year we are going to have our Thank View setup to where we have people to help you record your message.”

According to the impact report located on The Marshall University Foundation’s webpage, there were over 1,850 scholarships awarded to more than 1,400 Marshall students over the course of the 2017-2018 academic year. More than 56% of students received scholarships worth more than $4.1 million.

Thank A Donor days are not limited to students currently receiving scholarships. “We have a ton of activities and programs, things on campus that are paid for by private support that sometimes students don’t realize,” Davis said. “It’s really an educational opportunity for us. The least anyone can do is to say thank you in a card and then we can send it on to a donor who would love to hear from a student.”

These two days are not the only days students can send their gratitude to donors. Other events are held throughout the year. Thank you cards can also be sent all year. For students’ convenience, cards can be emailed or dropped off at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall front desk. Davis encourages students not to limit thank you cards to just once because “your donor would love to hear from you. Most of them were students, and they like hearing from students, and they enjoy hearing what you’re into and what you’re doing,” Davis said.

Students can stop by the Thank A Donor booth to leave thank you notes and pictures, or they can record a quick thank you video for donors Wednesday and Thursday.

Brittany Hively can be contacted at [email protected].