Giving Joy Day 2023 Inspires Eagles to Make a Difference

This year’s Giving Joy Day Birthday Party, held Wednesday on EWU’s Arévalo Mall, celebrated the Eagles from 23 different states who made more than 525 gifts to support 110 different university funds.

By the conclusion of 2023’s Giving Joy Day events, Eastern had exceeded its goal of raising $456,802 to support student scholarships and programs, said Linda Safford, senior director for annual giving. She noted that two particularly supportive Eagle alumni designated more than $1 million in planned estate gifts to benefit the university.

Safford said there were also other “generous and happy surprises” during the annual Giving Joy Day, which is scheduled each year to coincide with EWU’s birthday.

Gemini Corp. gave $10,000 to benefit students in the design program. An anonymous donor kicked in $10,000 toward the student-athlete nutrition station (which will soon come to fruition thanks to a $70,000 gift from Gatorade | PepsiCo Partners).

Lucas Fyre, president of the Associated Students of EWU, offered thanks on behalf of the EWU students. 

“Personally, as a scholarship student, I am so incredibly amazed at so much generosity towards our scholarship programs – and we are very, very thankful,” said Fyre, a 21-year-old psychology major from Spokane Valley. “Thank you so much to everybody.”

President Shari McMahan also expressed appreciation: “Thank you all for all for providing and sustaining scholarships that will help our students persist in their education. Your support is very, very important.”

“Personally, as a scholarship student, I am so incredibly amazed at so much generosity towards our scholarship programs – and we are very, very thankful,” said Fyre, a 21-year-old psychology major from Spokane Valley. “Thank you so much to everybody.”

During her remarks, McMahan recognized longtime EWU History Professor Bill Youngs, who continued his generous history of giving by donating $10,000 to be spread among 20 different scholarship and program funds. Youngs’ inclusive gift will benefit students in each of EWU’s four colleges.

Youngs, who was recently named as the EWU Philanthropist of the Year, said that at one time he could barely afford to make a $50 donation — and that was “digging deep.” Today, Youngs hopes to inspire others to consider what they can give.

He credits Mike Clawson ‘’07 and Alicia Kinne-Clawson ’07 with starting an endowed scholarship in his honor that led to the Clawson-Youngs Environmental Studies Award and further inspired his own philanthropy.

Another of Giving Joy Day’s examples of generosity came via Jake Rehm, church council president of Cheney’s recently closed Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Rehm announced at the event that Emmanuel Lutheran members are donating $130,000 of the proceeds from the sale of their former church building to support nursing and general scholarships. Their gift will also provide equipment for the emergency medical services certificate program.

“Lives will be saved as a result of the gifts given today,” said Rehm, senior lecturer and director of EWU’s Department of Wellness and Movement Sciences’ fitness center. Rehm is one of many EWU employees who’ve belonged to the church during its seven decades.

The two large planned estate gifts, meanwhile, will establish two additional scholarships funds and support EWU’s JFK Library and Learning Commons.

“Lives will be saved as a result of the gifts given today,” said Rehm, senior lecturer and director of EWU’s Department of Wellness and Movement Sciences’ fitness center. Rehm is one of many EWU employees who’ve belonged to the church during its seven decades.

Members of EWU’s Development office say such gifts are part of an encouraging trend. “We have a growing number of alumni, faculty, staff and others who have notified us that we’re in their wills. These future gifts create transformational change for EWU students for generations to come,” said Courtney Susemiehl, senior director of gift planning.

Susemiehl works with donors to direct their future gifts to areas that mean the most to them.

For instance, the gift of planned estate donor Kent Thornbrugh, who in 1986 earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from what was then the EWU School of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, will fund a named scholarship that will assist future students in his program of study, now housed in the EWU School of Business.

Susemiehl said gifts to the EWU Foundation can be based on a percentage or dollar amount in a will or trust, or donors can name the EWU Foundation as a full or partial beneficiary of life insurance, stock, retirement or other accounts. (To learn more, or notify EWU of a planned gift, you can contact Gray at cgray37@ewu.edu or 509.559.2082.)

It’s not too late to support other Giving Joy Day priorities. You can double the impact by joining the Privratsky Challenge to assist students in communication sciences and disorders on their path to become the speech therapists who make a difference for children and adults.