Vincennes University is holding its 4th annual Blazers Give Day on Thursday.
Blazers Give Day is a 24-hour giving event that allows anyone to donate to the Vincennes University Foundation, a 60-year-old organization that finds external resources to support academic programs, students, and the university.
Blazers Give Day is a day to celebrate and allow the community to come together in the spirit of giving, said Kristi Deetz, executive director of the Vincennes University Foundation.
The foundation in 2023 had more than 120 new donors participate in Blazers Give Day and 421 new donors throughout the year. They are hoping to increase those numbers this year.
Deetz said there are over 500 funds that people can choose to donate to or donate straight to the Blazers Give Fund, which is an unrestricted fund that allows the foundation to allocate resources where they are most needed.
To date, the foundation was able to provide $190,000 in housing scholarships to students because of funds raised on previous Blazers Give Days. Scholarships are a major part of what the foundation does for students.
“We would love for our students only to have to think about their academic success and not have to worry about how they are gonna pay for their college education,” Deetz said.
The foundation also has funds that help faculty, academic programs, student services, athletics, and capital projects.
This academic year $1.2 million in donations have been given to scholarship funds alone.
As the fgoundation continues to grow it aims to increase scholarship rewards and create other funds that can receive donations, Deetz said.
Blazers Give Day is “one day that makes a difference every day,” she said.
The event is a system-wide effort, meaning funds can be allocated to any VU location.
People are invited to donate online 24/7 at www.vinu.edu/give.
