Sustaining a rich educational environment that puts students first is the purpose behind St. Bonaventure University’s fifth annual 24-hour fund drive, which takes place Thursday, Jan. 30.

#BonaGivingDay launches at 12:01 a.m. with an invitation for the St. Bonaventure community and its neighbors to “Rise to the Challenge” with a gift to The Bonaventure Fund.

The online event, which can be found at www.sbu.edu/BonaGivingDay, offers participants the opportunity to join various giving challenges, create their own fun challenge or simply make a donation.

“While we put the focus on ‘24 hours of giving,’ the results of #BonaGivingDay are experienced daily throughout the year,” said Alan Riddle, director of Annual Giving at St. Bonaventure. “When you make a donation, you invest in the people, programs and scholarship packages that help students succeed.”

One such student is freshman psychology major Aidan Sauter from Livonia, New York.

With a 4.0 GPA and a commitment to playing intramural sports while also volunteering at a local nursing home, Sauter said the personalized attention he gets at Bona’s makes all the difference in allowing him to continually challenge himself.

He followed in the footsteps of his three older siblings in attending St. Bonaventure and watched them achieve their goals. “You really do get changed here,” he said.

Riddle noted that #BonaGivingDay was created to boost support for students like Sauter.

“If anyone has thought about giving, but hasn’t done so, this is the perfect opportunity,” Riddle said. “Your gift will go to work immediately, allowing students like Aidan to reach their full potential.”    

Along with donating, Riddle said alumni and friends can help by entering the conversations and building excitement on social media by sharing and liking posts and videos about #BonaGivingDay.  

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.sbu.edu/BonaGivingDay or call (716) 375-2068.