Birthday Joy
A successful Giving Joy Day commemorates an Eastern anniversary.
Eastern has for decades celebrated the anniversary of its founding during the first week of April. In more recent years, EWU’s birthday celebration has included an opportunity for Eagles to mark the occasion by giving gifts of support.
Giving Joy Day brings together both the spirit of service and the generosity of donors. It now serves as the university’s largest, single-day philanthropic event, raising funds that fill crucial gaps for students and programs. “Last year, we raised more than $456,000 for student scholarships and program support,” says Linda Safford, EWU’s director of annual giving. “With our community’s help, this year we exceeded our $500,000 goal — funds that will go right to work helping our students stay in school and earn their degrees.”
Samuel Steege is one of those students. For this year’s event, Steege, a hardworking 22-year-old communications studies major, took a moment to share his story — and his gratitude — for the supporters who helped him continue along his path to an EWU degree.
With our community’s help, this year we exceeded our $500,000 goal — funds that will go right to work helping our students stay in school and earn their degrees.
On a breezy day last August, Steege says, he was working the afternoon shift at Cheney’s Farmhouse Café when his cellphone started buzzing. It was an urgent call from his dad. A fire had started along Gray Road near Medical Lake, his father said. Steege raced home to help evacuate.
Two hours later, that fire destroyed their home. Thankfully, no family members or pets were injured. Steege didn’t rely solely on his parents to support his education, but their assistance played a crucial part in making ends meet. When the fire made further financial help impossible, the EWU Student Emergency Fund — one of the many worthy causes supported by Giving Joy Day donors — stepped up to fill the gap.
“It feels good to know that there are resources to help in such a crazy, unexpected time like this,” says Steege, who is one step closer to his dream career in sports communication thanks, in part, to those “genuinely nice people” who support EWU students.
Giving Joy Day 2024 is over, but you can still join in the joy. Visit ewu.edu/give to learn more.
