NASHVILLE, Tennessee—Trevecca Nazarene University’s second annual Giving Day on March 15 resulted in total gifts of $1,505,353, surpassing its goal of $1.5 million and exceeding the contributions from last year’s inaugural Giving Day by more than $287,000.
During the Giving Day festivities, Trevecca also provided a free meal for students, faculty and staff to celebrate the opening of a fully renovated dining area in the Jernigan Student Center, one of last year’s primary fundraising designations.
The renovated space, which occupies most of the building’s first floor, now has the capacity to seat 450 students, an upgrade from the previous 322-seat cafeteria. The building also houses a new cafe and marketplace, a new spirit store, an upgraded commercial kitchen and a new office suite for Student Government and the Diversity Council. Also included in the renovations are second-floor meeting spaces with views of downtown Nashville and open lounges throughout the building.
New furniture and signage, an outdoor pavilion with a video board and exterior upgrades will be part of the Jernigan overhaul’s completion in the coming months.
For 2022, Giving Day donors had the option to designate their donations to projects that included scholarships, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program, athletics, the Waggoner library or other school programs like theatre and the Urban Farm. The overall goal was reached through the gifts of 979 generous donors.
Peggy Cooning, Trevecca’s vice president, praised the way the University came together in leadership, service and a belief in Trevecca’s mission.
“We are incredibly grateful for the way the Trevecca community—alumni, students, employees, churches and friends—came together to celebrate the connections we have with one another to serve and lead others,” Cooning said. “Giving Day allowed us to share our stories of how the university has made our lives better and then pay it forward to the next generation.”