Vassar College's "27for270" campaign — which last year tasked its 27 athletic teams to collectively secure 270 donors within a 27-hour timeframe — was so successful, the school upped the ante for 2019.
After the initial goal of 270 donors was met within a few hours, Vassar officials tweaked the goal to 2,700 donors this year in a campaign now called "27Brew2." The result was 5,960 donations totaling $290,793, or roughly $100,000 more than last year's campaign, according to The Miscellany News student newspaper.
Teams employed videos promoting the fundraiser, creative graphics and personal pleas on social media to compel as many people as possible to donate. For its part, the athletic department pledged an extra $5,000 to the team with the most donors, and another $5,000 — donated by Vassar President Elizabeth Bradley and her husband — went to the team whose donor count improved most from last year’s challenge.
The men’s lacrosse team led the way with 1,076 donations, while the men’s tennis team improved their number of donors by 650 percent. In all, 15 of the 20 teams that participated increased their donor numbers.
Director of athletics Michelle Walsh donated $500 to the team that boasted the most advocates and personal plea videos. The baseball team and the women's basketball team split that prize.
