This year’s Giving Day once again proved that when Gulls show up, they show up all in.
On March 4, Endicott’s 8th annual Giving Day transformed the Nest into a 24-hour celebration of pride and possibility—uniting the community around one shared mission: supporting the people, programs, and experiences that make Endicott truly transformational.
By day’s end, $737,325 had been raised, surpassing last year’s total by $46,672, fueling scholarships, strengthening academic and co-curricular programs, and ensuring the Endicott experience continues to expand and support future generations of Gulls.
“Beyond the positive impact that the dollars raised have on our students’ experience, Giving Day has grown into an event that unifies the entire Gull community—on campus and beyond—around a common purpose,” said Pat Hewett, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “This is powerful, exciting, and fun!”
A total of 4,715 donors came together to support on Giving Day, an increase of 525 donors from last year and a 12.5% rise in participation. Among them, 972 students made a gift, 904 parents contributed nearly $250,000 in support, and 2,908 donors rallied behind Endicott Athletics.
Across athletics, teams inspired remarkable participation. Baseball led all funds with 414 donors, the highest participation of any fund, while the Dance Team engaged 301 donors, highlighting strong enthusiasm for student programs.
“We are overwhelmingly grateful for the support and donations! It truly takes a village, and we could not have reached our goals without the help of the coaching staff, dancers, alumni, families, friends, and fans,” said Nicole Sao Pedro-Welch, Director of Dance.
Giving also strengthened academic and student success initiatives. The Endicott Scholarship Fund received gifts from 138 donors, helping expand access to an Endicott education. The Center for Teaching & Learning raised $36,478 from 112 donors to support academic success programs, and the School of Science and Technology led all academic areas with $42,835 raised.
Adding even more momentum to the day, President Bryan Cain, Ph.D. ’24, and his husband, Colby, introduced the President’s Scholarship Challenge. Once 105 donors made a gift in support of scholarships, the milestone unlocked a $10,000 contribution from the couple to establish a new endowed scholarship in memory of his late parents, Ken and Karol Cain.
“Watching the momentum build hour by hour was inspiring and a powerful reminder of how deeply our community believes in Endicott and in our students,” said Dr. Cain. “I am especially proud to see the strong support for the newly created Ken and Karol Cain Scholarship Fund in memory of my late parents. It is a wonderful example of how our community comes together to expand opportunity for our students.”
From the moment Giving Day Headquarters opened in Lower Callahan, the energy was electric. Students filtered in for Giving Day t-shirts, Crumbl Cookies, raffle entries, and exclusive swag. The Gary photo op drew a crowd (as expected), and live engraving in the LSB Lobby gave Gulls the chance to leave with something personalized—and permanent—to remember the day.
This year’s Power Hours also brought a new level of excitement.
During the Academic Power Hour, alumni and friends tuned into social media for live Giving Day trivia, competing for bonus funds and school pride in fast-paced rounds hosted online. Later, MacDonald Gymnasium came alive for the Athletics Power Hour: Gull Games, where students tackled obstacle-course challenges and earned votes for their favorite teams as part of the Forever a Gull competition.
As the evening continued, Lower Callahan filled once again for the Student Life Power Hour, where competitive Giving Day Bingo gave clubs and organizations the chance to win funding for travel, merchandise, and event hosting support.
The day wrapped up with Endicott’s Favorites Night in Callahan Dining Hall and the Class of 2026 gathering at Gully’s, closing out 24 hours of celebration, competition, and community.
Giving Day was loud and joyful, but above all, it was a powerful reminder that when this community rallies together, the impact reaches far beyond a single day.