Compete, clean up campus & kick 🪓: Seven ways to get involved on Giving Day

NAU employees wearing university branded T-shirts and hats posing with Louie the Lumberjack outside

This Giving Day, how will you spread Axe of Kindness?

NAU’s sixth annual fundraising event is right around the corner, taking place all day and across multiple campuses on Wednesday, April 3. Each year, it’s an opportunity for the extended Lumberjack community to show support for NAU and the individual programs they love, from colleges to student organizations.

Now is a great time to browse the Giving Day website and decide how you’ll support the university through fun, interactive events and challenges. Whether you plan to donate or not, there are endless ways to get involved and lift up your fellow Lumberjacks!

We’ve put together a sampler of our most anticipated Giving Day events—but there are so many more to explore! Find the complete list of challenges and events online. Can’t decide how to take part? Stop by one of the many Giving Day tables around the Flagstaff mountain campus and ask a staff member for tips. You might just pick up some free swag for the road.

Bus bucks 

NAU Shuttle & Parking Services is coming together to celebrate Giving Day with trivia questions and prizes on a Giving Day-themed shuttle bus. Driver Robert Samuelson and co-hosts Michael Seitz and Deric Chappell are taking students for a fun-filled ride, offering trivia games and the chance to win covetable prizes. The shuttle runs from 8-8:30 a.m., 11-11:30 a.m. and 1-1:30 p.m. To join the fun, students can check the Bus Genius website or the NAUgo app to find and board the Giving day “Bus Bucks” shuttle.

“Interacting with students is the best part about my day,” Samuelson said. “We are excited to participate in Giving Day to brighten students’ days, give them some free swag and enjoy doing something different.”

Person's hands adjusting a pair of NAU branded socksSock it to me 

Giving Day is no time to get cold feet: The first 1,000 people to donate $75 or more on April 3 will receive a pair of limited-edition custom NAU socks. You won’t find these beauties at the bookstore!

Campus cleanup 

The fourth annual Student Organization Service Day, happening from 1-3 p.m., is guaranteed to be good clean fun. Students who register to participate in the campus trash pickup alongside their fellow students will get a free T-shirt for their efforts.

“Cleaning our town together is a great way to feel connected to the place we live and the greater community we share it with,” said senior Davis Ray, a member of NAU Skate Club. “We see this event as an opportunity to build community.” 

Deans on the scene  

Academic leaders on campus get into Giving Day in a big way. Just outside the School of Forestry building, CEFNS Dean Roger Haro will connect with students over a friendly game of bocce from 9-11 a.m. And Kevin Gustafson, dean of the Honors College, will give out special prizes and bond with students over cookies and hot cocoa at 3 p.m. in the Honors College building. Ask your school or college what they’re up to on April 3!

Friendly face-off 

From 4-8 p.m. at the Union Fieldhouse, a myriad of student groups and organizations who are leading fundraising projects will engage in a friendly competition for prize money, connecting with peers over pizza, skateboarding and live music.

three students planting things in a field in Puerto Rico
Students who spend part of their education abroad—like these NAU-Yuma students who had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico—gain confidence, new skills and more.

Send ‘em packing

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience—and that’s why, on Giving Day, NAU-Yuma is raising funds to expand access to this life-changing opportunity. By donating to the NAU-Yuma study abroad fund, you could help broaden students’ horizons, enhance their leadership skills and boost their chances of post-college employment, according to Angelina Palumbo, director of education abroad.

“Study abroad programs in Yuma not only provide students with skills necessary for a successful profession, but they also increase employability rates as students gain confidence in their interpersonal skills. We want them to come back with incredible tales of their global travels. From the edge of Yuma to the boundless horizon, every footstep symbolizes a remarkable adventure of perseverance and exploration.” Palumbo said. 

Brew bash  

Help us finish strong with a special Giving Day event at Mother Road Brewing Company from 5-7 p.m. The alumni-owned brewery will host a bash that features performances from the Lumberjack Marching Band, Louie and the Baja Bug, an off-road vehicle built by the Society of Automotive Engineers this semester. The celebration includes food and Giving Day gear. 

For everything you need to know to kick axe on Giving Day, check out the NAU Giving Day website

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Jill Kimball | NAU Communications
(928) 523-2282 | jill.kimball@nau.edu

NAU Communications