The Collegian
Thursday, March 28, 2024

UR Here Giving Day 2021 resumes, more than $1 million donated

<p>Maryland Hall is home to the Office of the President.&nbsp;</p>

Maryland Hall is home to the Office of the President. 

The University of Richmond’s 2021 Giving Day resumed and took place from May 25-26, with $1,186,306 raised by 1,912 donors, according to UR's website

The third annual event, known as UR Here, was paused for an unspecified reason in an update posted on the website on April 6 following the UR Black Student Coalition’s demand for community members and alumni to cease donations. 

“Irrespective of any challenges the University may face at the moment, the needs of students endure, and so our commitment to fundraising to support future generations of Spiders must continue,” Cynthia Price, associate vice president of media and public relations, wrote in an email to The Collegian on May 24. 

Rising senior Kevin Spear, who wrote an op-ed for The Collegian expressing that not supporting UR Here would be a mistake, said he wished that Giving Day had proceeded as scheduled. 

"I’m very happy to see that it’s back on and I think it’ll do a lot of good for the University of Richmond," he wrote in an email to The Collegian. 

Eliana Fleischer, UR ‘20, said she will not be donating to Giving Day this year or any year until UR addresses the demands of the BSC. 

“Resuming the Giving Day campaign now is simply an act of hubris, as if the reason it was postponed originally has been resolved,” she said. “It has not.” 

The 36-hour fundraising event allows community members and alumni to donate to over 160 funds in five impact areas: academics, athletics, greatest needs, student life and well-being. Additionally, this year there was an opportunity to honor President Crutcher by donating to The Dr. Ronald A. and Dr. Betty Neal Crutcher Scholarship or the Dialogue and Inclusion fund, according to the website.  

“Once the school realizes that creating an environment that best facilitates the education and development of all its students must be their first priority, instead of bowing to the preferences of an out of touch Rector, I will gladly resume donating to the University of Richmond,” Fleischer said. 

UR’s Giving Day raised more than $350,000 during its first year in 2019, and upwards of $1,600,000 of funds in 2020, according to UR’s website.

Contact co-news editor Ryan Hudgins at ryan.hudgins@richmond.edu

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