Water balloons, pie-tossing and E-race cars rally on Giving Day
The fundraising marathon involves all of the university’s 13 global campuses.
Northeastern student Alex Szewczyk closed his eyes, bracing for the water balloon that was moments away from exploding on his chest.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his fellow men’s water polo teammates all of whom were dressed in their swimsuits outside of the Curry Student Center Tuesday morning — he took the pelting in stride.
In fact, he had invited it.
For $5, anyone could throw two balloons at the players as part of the team’s fundraising efforts for Northeastern University’s Giving Day, the annual 24-hour fundraising event where members of the Northeastern community raise money to the support university organizations and causes.
“I’ve only been out here for 20 minutes and I’m pretty wet right now, so I’d say it’s been a pretty good start,” Szewczyk said, noting the team was hoping to raise about $1,000 to buy new equipment, including balls and cages, that both the men’s and women’s polo team use for competition.
This year, the university collected more than $4.4 million from more than 15,700 donors from around the world, surpassing last year’s total of $3.6 million, which was collected from just shy of 14,000 donors, according to Lori Jacques, associate vice president for alumni relations and annual giving.
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“The Northeastern community is simply amazing – there isn’t a challenge they won’t meet. Today proves it once again,” Jacques said.
The fundraising marathon involves all of the university’s 13 global campuses, and one hundred percent of donations go to the faculty, teams, student organizations and academic programs participating in the day.
On Tuesday, the Boston campus was abuzz with activities including live performances, games and free cotton candy and popcorn. There were also plenty of other free goodies, including Husky stickers and bracelets.
And back for a second year was Giving Day Live!, the university’s ESPN-inspired livestream show featuring a rotating cast of panelists who offered highlights and leaderboard check-ins as the day went on.
More than 80 organizations had tables set up throughout campus championing their causes.
Last year, the NU Wireless Club raised about$10,000, explained Leo Norton, a third-year electrical engineering major and the co-president of the club. One of Northeastern’s oldest student run organizations, the club markets itself as an amateur radio club.
The organization has a private makerspace in Hayden Hall on the Boston campus where it hosts weekly workshops to teach people how to solder and assemble electric circuit boards to make their own radios.
“Every single person gets their own materials, little kits and gets to go home with it,” said Norton standing next to the club’s table in Krentzman Quad where they were showcasing some of wireless technologies they get to play with.
Giving Day funds have been essential for the club to buy the necessary equipment to host those events, Norton said. Last year’s successful campaign has only made them hopeful that this year can be just as successful.
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Northeastern University’s Electric Racing Club was showing off the latest iteration of its black and red Formula 1-inspired race car right out of Snell Library.
The team has done well for itself, placing third last year at the Formula Hybrid + Electric competition in Loudon, New Hampshire explained Adrian Vanegas, a third year mechanical and industrial engineering major and the head of vehicle dynamics.
Last year, the group raised about $25,000 from Giving Day, which they used to purchase machining components and other resources to help them speed up development of their race, he said. This year, they are upping the stakes by looking to raise about $35,000 in donations.
Like many other organizations, the club has also set milestone challenges if they hit specific fundraising targets, explained Riyana Roy, a third-year science and business administration student and member of the club.
If they receive $15,000 in donations, the club’s e-board members will get pied in the face, but if they raise more than $100,000 the e-board members will get matching Northeastern Electric Racing Club tattoos, she said.
“So things can really vary,” she said.
