     |
Alumni urged to make an online gift or phone in a pledge (toll-free at 877-678-9822 or
859-236-5500) immediately
RELEASED: June 24, 2004
DANVILLE, KY—Centre College needs just under 100 more gifts to put itself in position to recapture the No. 1 national ranking in annual alumni giving percentage. The College has already received more than 5,000 alumni gifts this year.
Centre currently is significantly above 60-percent alumni participation for the campaign year that ends on June 30. Using "Route 66" as the theme of this year's annual giving campaign, the College hopes to reach 66-percent alumni participation, which would likely propel the Centre to the top spot.
Centre has now cracked the 60-percent mark in annual alumni giving for 23 consecutive years, and is the only school in the country that can make that claim.
The College has led the country in alumni-giving percentage 15 of the past 20 years, but has fallen just short the past two. Centre is currently in a tightly contested push to the finish with Williams, Amherst, Carleton and Davidson. At present, Williams is leading the pack with Centre closely behind in second place.
"Because of the great response from our alumni over the past few weeks we've steadily moved up the ranks and believe that we have a real shot of reclaiming No. 1," says Jamey Elliott '96. "It's neck and neck right now, so we need our alumni to continue to come through in this last week. We're confident they will."
In addition to helping reclaim the top ranking, 100 more gifts would also benefit The College Centre project. An anonymous alumnus pledged $100,000 to the project if Centre received 2,000 alumni donations between Feb. 1 and June 30, 2004. The additional 100 alumni gifts would meet that goal. For regular updates on Centre's progress toward the challenge go to http://flamerun.centre.edu/66challenge.html.
The College Centre project is a $22-million construction and renovation of Crounse Academic Center and Sutcliffe Athletic Center that will create a state-of-the-art academic and recreation/athletic complex. It's to be completed in 2005.
To make a gift at Centre, visit http://gifts.centre.edu/. For more on The College Centre, see http://www.centre.edu/cc/.
- end -
Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top-50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/
For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.
Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422
Public Information Coordinator: Telephone 859-238-5714