Student signers wanted for Thanks for Giving program

More than 4,500 alumni, parents and friends of East Stroudsburg University give to the Annual Fund each year, supporting ESU students every single day through scholarships, improved technologies and support of academic and athletic programs.

Wouldn’t it be nice for students to thank them personally?

The East Stroudsburg University Foundation encourages students to come out on November 2, 8, 9 and 15 to tell donors ‘Thanks for Giving!’ The names of students who sign five thank you cards will be put in for a drawing for a $100 Wawa gift card.

Drop by these locations during signing times to help tell the thousands of supporters of ESU how much their gift means to the university and its students:

University Center Foyer – November 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dansbury Commons Lobby – November 8-9, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Stroud Hall, Room304 – November 15, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

An annual tradition of the ESU Foundation, the signed Thanks for Giving postcards will be sent to donors just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Last year, the Annual Fund received nearly $700,000 in gifts from more than 4,500 donors. As the ESU Foundation works to surpass its goal of $800,000 in gifts this fiscal year, a hand-written thank you card to donors goes a long way, according to Ayla Siemon, the ESU Foundation’s assistant director of the Annual Fund/Phonathon.

“This program is so important because it gives students a personal way to say thank you to our donors at such a special time of the year – the beginning of the holidays,” Siemon said. “The program also helps raise undergraduate awareness about how the Annual Fund plays a vital role in supporting their education.”

Connecting with alumni and those who lend their support to ESU is something all students should make time for, said Keith Buehlman, a sophomore business management major. The West Chester, Pa., resident is entering his second year working for the  ESU Foundation Phonathon and has the privilege of talking with alumni and friends of the University on a regular basis.

“We have good conversations. Just last night I talked for awhile with an alum who was now a guidance counselor – these are great people who care about ESU,” Buehlman said. “It’s important to thank them the right way.”

For more information about the Thanks for Giving Program, contact Siemon at asiemon@esufoundation.org, or by telephone at (570) 422-3878. More information about the ESU Foundation can be located at www.esufoundation.org.